Shri
Nitin Gadkari releases annual publication ‘Road Accidents in India- 2016’
Report
for first half of 2017 encouraging – road accidents drop by 3 % and fatalities
drop by 4.75 % between January to July 2017
Road
accidents in the country have decreased by around 4.1% during 2016, with the
year seeing 4,80,652 road accidents as against 5,01,423 in 2015. However fatalities
resulting from these accidents have risen by about 3.2% during the same period.
Nearly 1,50,785 persons were killed in 2016 as against 1,46,133 in 2015. Releasing
the Ministry’s annual publication ‘Road Accidents in India-2016 the Minister
for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari said that while the accident and
fatality figures still leave a lot to be desired in the matter of ensuring road
safety, the trends are encouraging. Road Accidents in India, 2016 is a compilation of data on various
facets of road accidents as furnished by Police Departments of all States/U.Ts for
the calendar year 2016.
Shri
Gadkari also informed that the positive trend of 2016 is further bolstered by
the accident figures for the first half of 2017, where there has been a 3 %
reduction in road accidents between January to July 2017, along with a 4.75 %
reduction in road accident fatalities. While road accidents have come down from
2,43,870 between January to July 2016 to 2,36,458 during the same period in
2017, fatalities have come down from 79,354 between January to July 2016 to
75,583 during the same period in 2017. Road accidents deaths have reduced in 25
states and Union Territories in the first half of 2017. Only states like
Assam, Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh seen increase in road accident fatalities
between 2-8 % during this period.
During
2016, 13 States accounted for 86
per cent of the total road accidents in the country . These are Tamil Nadu, MP,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, UP, AP, Rajasthan, Telangana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh,
West Bengal and Haryana. Similarly, 13 States accounted for 84 per cent of the
total persons killed in road accidents during 2016. These are UP, Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, MP, AP, Gujarat, Telangana, West Bengal,
Punjab, Haryana and Bihar.
The fifty Million-Plus Cities accounted for 18.7 per cent in total
road accidents in the country, 11.8 per cent in total persons killed in road
accidents and 16.7 per cent in total persons injured in road accidents. Chennai
had the highest number of road accidents (7,486) while Delhi had the highest
number of deaths (1,591)) due to road accidents. Accident severity for the
combined 50 Million Cities was 19.8 in 2016 as against 14.9 per cent in 2015.
According to the publication, the age
profile of road accident victims for 2016 reveals that the youth of age group
18 – 35 years accounted for 46.3 per cent (69,851 persons) and age group of
18-45 accounted for a share of 68.6% (1,03,409 persons) and working age group
of 18-60 accounted for a share of 83.3 per cent (1,25,583 persons) in the total
road accident fatalities.
The number of road accidents relative to Population, registered
vehicles and road length are on a general declining trend from 2010. Number of accidents per
lakh population declined from 42.5 in 2010 to 37.9 in 2016. Number of persons
injured per lakh population decreased from 44.8 in 2010 to 39.0 in 2016. Number
of persons killed per lakh population marginally increased from 11.4 in 2010 to
11.9 in 2016.
The National Highways accounted for 29.6 per cent of total road
accidents and 34.5 per cent of total number of persons killed. As compared to
the previous year i.e, 2015 road accident has gone up on National highways from
28.4 per cent to 29.6 per cent in 2016. The State Highways accounted for 25.3
per cent of total accidents and 27.9 per cent of the total number of persons
killed in road accident in 2016.
About 37 per cent of total accidents took place on traffic
junctions with 72.9 percent on uncontrolled ones, underscoring the importance
of traffic control mechanism at junctions. Potholes accounted for 6,424 Road Accidents & 2,324
fatalities. 9,583 accidents & 3,396 accident deaths were attributed to speed
breakers.
Among the vehicle categories, two wheelers accounted for the
highest share in total number of road accidents (33.8 per cent), followed by
cars, jeeps and taxis (23.6 per cent), trucks, tempos, tractors and other
articulated vehicles (21.0 per cent), Buses (7.8 per cent), Auto-Rickshaws (6.5
per cent) and other motor vehicles (2.8 per cent). The share of two wheelers
in total road accidents has increased from 28.8 per cent in 2015 to 33.8 per
cent in 2016.
Road users on two-wheelers are the most vulnerable; constituting
34.8 per cent of total persons killed in 2016. The other road users killed in
road accidents are cars, taxies, vans and other light and medium motor vehicles
– 17.9 per cent; trucks – 11.2 per cent; pedestrians – 10.5 per cent; buses -
6.6 per cent; auto rickshaws – 4.7 per cent; and others motor vehicles – 10.6
per cent.
Based on the data reported by Police, drivers’ fault is single most important factor responsible for road
accidents (84 per cent), killings (80.3 per cent) and injuries (83.9) on all
roads in the country during 2016. Intake of
alcohol/drugs by drivers resulted in 14,894 road accidents (3.7 per cent) and
6,131 fatalities (5.1 per cent). The act of talking on mobile phones while
driving has resulted in 4, 976 road accidents, 2,138 road accident deaths and
injuries to 4,746 number of persons during the calendar year 2016. Overloaded
vehicles caused 61,325 (12.8 per cent) road accidents and 21,302 (14.1 per
cent) deaths in 2016.
Shri
Gadkari informed that his Ministry has adopted a multi-pronged approach to
ensure and promote safety on roads. These include use of road
engineering measures to enhance safety, improved vehicle safety standards,
education and awareness for drivers and general public, enforcement of road
safety laws and post-crash response and trauma care facilities. The
MoRTH has identified and rectified many accident black spots. Total 789 black
spots were identified of which 140 spots have already been rectified, 283 are
under execution/bidding and 228 under survey investigation. The
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2017 which is in Parliament. provides stricter penalties for traffic offences for
increased compliance and will go a long way in making Indian roads safer.
The
Minister also said that a district level committee will be constituted under
the chairmanship of local Lok Sabha MP in every district to monitor road
Security, to identify black spots, to suggest road security measures etc. This
committee will also involve and take help of local polytechnic students in
improving the road conditions of the district.
On
this occasion, Shri Gadkari also launched the road safety website www.missionroadsafety.com
, developed with the help of IIT, Delhi students. This website will provide data
about road accidents and related information.
This
report Road Accidents in India-2016 is also available on the website
of the Ministry of Road Transport & highways.
To see the presentation on the report click here
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NP/MS
