City registers 20 pc fall in accidents on highways

 The number of fatal accidents on National Highways across the country has increased in the last few years.

However, Delhi has registered around 20 per cent decline in the number of fatal accidents on National Highways criss crossing the city till November this year compared to the number of deaths in 2011.

At least 218 people have been killed in accidents on six stretches of National Highways in the city between January and November 2012. This is 20 per cent less the number of people killed — 292 — during the same period last year.

The figures have come down from 101 to 67 on G T Karnal Road and to 59 from 66 on the Rohtak Road. Similarly, accidents have come down by 15, nine and eight on Mathura Road, NH-24 and Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road respectively. This decline is largely due to speed calming measures introduced by road owning agencies and strict prosecution by the Delhi traffic police for over-speeding and drunken driving.

The impact can be gauged from the fact that there has been sharp decline in the number of deaths of pedestrians and two-wheeler drivers –most vulnerable road users on the National Highways.  While the number of pedestrian death has come down to 734 this year as compared to 2011, the number of two-wheeler riders who were killed has come to 518 from 615 last year.

Joint commissioner of police (traffic), Satyendra Garg said the settlement on either side of the National Highways is quite dense and so pedestrian movement is high here.

“Many are run over by the speeding vehicles while crossing the road. So speed calming measures were installed at vulnerable points. For example, pedestrian signals were installed at Swaroop Nagar and Bhakoli on G T Karnal road.

Similar exercise was done on other stretches,” said Garg. The officer said road owning agencies like NHAI and PWD installed proper signanges along the highways. Apart from that, prosecution against commercial vehicles on Mathura Road was intensified, he added.

“Prosecution against drunk driving and speeding vehicles on these stretches has been at an all time high. This helped in bringing down the number of fatal accidents,” Garg added.

Traffic police officials said the number is set to decline further as they will introduce more speed calming interventions in future.

“Introduction of night interceptors for checking speed of vehicles from next year will be of great help in bringing down accidents,” Garg said. A majority of the accidents take place during night when the density of commercial vehicles is at its peak.