Overspeeding behind 62% accidents in hilly areas

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 15

Overspeeding has resulted in 1,043 of the 1,679 (62 per cent) accidents the state.

There is a decline in the number in comparison to the corresponding period last year as 1,812 accidents were reported in 2018. Carelessness in negotiating curves accounted for 248 accidents followed by dangerous overtaking (109), violation of passage (87), drug abuse (50) blind curve (37), absence of crash barriers (32) and dangerous driving (27).

The maximum accidents (288) were reported in Shimla district, 279 in Kangra, 228 in Mandi, 205 in Solan, 165 in Una, 161 in Sirmaur, 106 in Kullu, 94 in Bilaspur, 73 in Chamba, 63 in Hamirpur, 25 in Kinnaur and 10 in Lahaul & Spiti.

Human error is responsible for over 93 per cent of the accidents while 4.86 per cent accidents occur due to bad road conditions. On an average, 1,180 persons died every year in 3,090 accidents while around 5,480 persons sustain injuries. In a large number of accidents, the injuries are of serious nature, resulting in permanent disability.

Strict enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Act and a series of measures initiated by the police like introduction of e-challaning for drunken driving, overspeeding, rash and negligent driving, overloading and wrong parking had created fear among violators which had reduced the accidents to some extent, said DGP SR Mardi.

In hilly roads, curves are designed for speed of 45 km per hour on national highways and 25 km per hour on village roads. Negotiating a curve at the speed of 70-80 often results in accidents and, therefore, in a majority of cases, vehicles overturn, says Engineering-in-Chief (PWD) RK Verma.

The PWD has rectified 71 of the 90 black spots identified by the Police Department, over 348 of 505 identified by the GVK while work is in progress on 169 black spots identified by the HRTC and 193 more spots pointed out by the police.

Rectification of black spots, better engineering of hill roads, use of signages and speedometers, erection of parapets at accident-prone sites, awareness of traffic rules among citizens, strict enforcement of law, punishment for violators and deployment of the police at vulnerable locations are a few remedial steps to check accidents, says SP (Law and order) Khushal Sharma.