Straight roads saw more accidents than curved ones in 2019

Latest data suggest that straight roads are more dangerous than curved ones as maximum accidents happened on straight roads in the country.

In 2019, a total of 2,93,993 accidents occurred on straight roads, which claimed 96,624 lives, while on curved roads, 60,888 accidents were recorded that killed 20,141 persons.

Of the total road accidents in the country, 65.5 per cent happened on straight roads, while just 17.6 per cent occured on curved roads, according to Road Accidents in India-2019 data, prepared by Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

"Vehicle speed tends to be high on straight roads in open areas which corroborates the high percentage of road accidents and deaths," says the report.

Due to potholes, a total of 4,775 accidents happened, which killed 2,140 persons last year.

Among road junctions, T-Junctions were most dangerous as those witnessed 11,479 accidents and 2,083 deaths. With 4,173 accidents and 813 deaths, roundabout junctions are least dangerous.

As per the Union Ministry of Road Transport data, a total of 449,002 accidents took place in the country during the calendar year 2019, leading to 151,113 deaths and 451,361 people being injuried.

Earlier, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has identified over 5,000 black spots on national highways and the process for their rectification, including temporary and permanent measures, is being carried out on urgent basis.

So far, temporary measures on 1,739 newly identified black spots and permanent measures on 840 newly identified black spots have already been taken, he said.

Under Indian Road Safety Assessment Programme, the Ministry assessed a total of 21,000 km roads are under technological upgradation. The Ministry officials are hoping that upgradation programmes will bring about a 50 per cent reduction in road accidents.