94% fatal accidents in Chandigarh caused by speeding

Speeding was the cause of 93 of the 98 fatal accidents witnessed in Chandigarh in 2018, states the report released by the Union ministry of road transport and highways recently.

Of the other five fatal accidents, one was caused due to jumping red light, while the other four were unspecified.

Under the number of fatal accidents caused by speeding, the report lists Chandigarh at number 26 among the 36 states and union territories (UTs), while it ranks third behind Puducherry and Delhi among the nine UTs. Apart from fatalities, 20 people were grievously injured because of speeding, while 247 received minor injuries.

Even as the figures set one thinking, it is all the more surprising that speeding cases have not decreased despite police efforts. According to traffic police data, 14,745 challans were issued for speeding in 2018, over three times more than those in 2017 — 4,584.

KEEPING A CHECK

To supplement their efforts to check speeding, this year traffic police adopted six-speed radar camera systems with boards that will display the speed of vehicles.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, traffic administration) Kewal Krishan said cameras will be installed by the end of November. “The systems use radar technology to measure the speed of vehicles. They can be removed and re-installed. At first, only speed of vehicles will be displayed to spread awareness among people, and later challans will be issued for violations,” he said.

Road safety activist Harpreet Singh said, “Speeding is the main cause of accidents everywhere. Decreasing the speed limit has been shown to bring down the possibility of an accident exponentially. A mishap is also less likely to be fatal if the car is being driven under the speed limit.”

NO DEATHS DUE TO DRUNKEN DRIVING, TALKING ON THE PHONE.

According to the report, no accident was caused due to talking on the phone or drunk driving. Further, Chandigarh was found most compliant when it came to wearing seat belts, as all victims were wearing seat belts.

Speaking about this, senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic) Shashank Anand said, “Awareness among city residents has increased because of enforcement by the traffic police. Rather than risking getting challaned, people prefer to take a cab back home when drunk.”

Challans issued for drunk driving have also decreased from 6,662 in 2017 to 6,489 in 2018, according to police data.

SLOW DOWN

The amended Motor Vehicles Act, enforced in Chandigarh in September 1, has increased the fine for speeding from ₹700 to ₹1,000 for light motor vehicles and ₹2,000 for medium passenger vehicles, along with suspension of licence for three months. Furthermore, a new offence for racing has been introduced for which a fine of ₹5,000 will be charged.