4,000 accidental deaths in Haryana till October this year

In what yet again highlights the poor road safety in Haryana, 4,000 people have lost their lives in accidents till October this year. Calling it a manmade disaster, state DGP OP Singh said while 800 individuals were murdered, five times more people died in accidents which proved that roads were the biggest killers.

Gurugram tops the notoriety chart for recording 330 deaths and reporting 805 road accidents. As many as 595 people have reportedly died in road accidents here.

Second in line is Sonepat where 602 accidents were reported and 269 lives were lost. Panipat reported third highest number of deaths with a figure of 246 in 427 accidents this year till now.

So far, the state has reported 7,555 accidents till October this year. The number stood at 7,123 in the corresponding period last year. Drawing attention towards the issue, the DGP issued a plan for the state police including measures like jail term for drunk drivers.

In a letter sent to all field officials, including SHOs, DSPs and the traffic police personnel, Haryana DGP OP Singh asked them to identify accident-prone spots, repair damaged stretches and ensure that broken-down vehicles were removed immediately from roads. “Until such vehicles are cleared, cones with reflective tape must be placed to alert other drivers,” he said.

The police have been directed to take strict action against drunk drivers and speeding. “Drivers found under the influence of alcohol will face 15 to 20 days jail term, while speeding vehicles will be challaned without leniency. Liquor vends on highways have been told to display posters warning drivers not to drink and drive,” the DGP said.

“Most victims in Haryana’s road accidents are pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Staff will be deployed at vulnerable locations and take strict action against hit-and-run drivers, including cancellation of driving licences and jail terms up to two years,” the DGP stated in his letter.

“Officials have been instructed to ensure that accident victims are taken to the nearest hospital within 30 minutes. SHOs must stay in touch with hospitals to ensure timely treatment,” the letter stated.

The circular also asked officials to engage with truck operators to ensure drivers were trained and given enough rest. “Vehicles run for 24 hours to meet delivery deadlines. This increases the risk of accidents,” the circular stated, adding that operators may also be held accountable in fatal cases.

“The police will work with the Public Works Department to fix poor road designs, missing signage and unsafe cuts. Engineers responsible for design faults may be investigated in serious accidents. Each police station has been told to review accident data from November and December last year and aim to reduce fatalities this winter. Officials, who succeed, will be honoured on Republic Day and invited to a ‘bada khana’ (community feast), while those who fail to perform duty due to lack of efforts will face departmental action. The campaign aims to save lives through better enforcement, quicker response and more public awareness. Hundreds of lives can be saved through timely effort,” the directive states.

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Box: Manmade disasters

Accidents are manmade disasters. Sadly roads seem to be the biggest killers in cities. No matter if it’s fault of driver, road design or any other factor, we need to curtail the threat and make Haryana roads safer. The police force will dedicatedly work on ensuring that lives are not lost on roads. We will deal with drunk driving menace sternly.

OP Singh, DGP, Haryana