Over-speeding constituted the main traffic rule violation associated with accident-related deaths (55.9 per cent) in India in 2021 and Karnataka reported the second highest number of deaths due to over-speeding.
According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)'s latest report, titled ‘Accident Deaths and Suicides in India in 2021’, most road accidents were due to over-speeding, accounting for 59.7 per cent of total accidents, which stood at 2,40,828 out of a total of 4,03,116 road mishap cases. A total of 87,050 persons died (55.9 per cent) and 2,28,274 persons were injured due to over-speeding, the report added.
The largest number of deaths in road accidents due to over-speeding were reported in Tamil Nadu (11,419 deaths accounting for 13.1 per cent), followed by Karnataka (8,797 deaths accounting for 10.1 per cent).
Road accident cases also increased from 3,54,796 in 2020 to 4,03,116 in 2021, the report noted. Fatalities, meanwhile, increased by 16.8 per cent (from 1,33,201 in 2020 to 1,55,622 in 2021). Further, the death rate per thousand vehicles increased from 0.45 in 2020 to 0.53 in 2021, the report stated.
In Karnataka last year, a total 34,647 accidents were reported in which 40,754 people got injured and 10,038 persons died.
“India is adding new expressways and highways, most users on the expressways are not aware about the harsh driving conditions on various e-ways especially during extreme weather such as foggy winters and hot summers. Most vehicle owners and drivers, without knowing their car conditions and own limits, start using expressways as rally tracks," said K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF), a Geneva-based global road safety body working worldwide for better roads and highways.
The second major reason for road accidents was dangerous or careless driving and overtaking which accounted for 27.5 per cent deaths in the country.
Commenting on road safety, Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) President Rohit Baluja said, “Several other road safety measures need to be taken on e-ways including setting up a trauma care centre, an air ambulance, a highway surveillance system, truck terminals close to the two ends, and use of wire ropes crash barrier system.”