Road accident fatalities up by 22% in Panchkula
72 lives were lost in mishaps till July 31 this year as compared to 59 last year over the same interval, says Haryana police data
As many as 72 lives were lost in traffic accidents within the city this year till July 31 as compared to 59 over the same duration in 2018, an increase of 22%, revealed the data of the Haryana police on road accident fatalities shared on Tuesday.
As per the data, this year till July 31, as many as 151 cases of road accidents have been registered while the number of cases last year over the same interval was 125. Other than the fatalities, 69 persons sustained injuries this year in road mishaps as compared to 86 last year.
UNSAFE NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
As per a February report on Panchkula road accident analysis by road safety associate Simranjeet Singh, appointed by the Haryana government under Haryana Vision Zero, 47 accidents took place on national highways (NHs) in 2018 as compared to 37 in 2017, an increase of 27%.
The report also says there was 63% increase in traffic fatalities on NHs in 2018 as compared to 2017.
“Presently, the Pinjore-Baddi highway is the most accident-prone stretch. Effective solutions need to be put in place for safety of the commuters,” Singh said.
The report also states, “Over 66% accidental deaths have taken place on national highways 5 and 7, that cross Panchkula city limits. About 34% fatalities occurred on the remaining stretch that is within the MC limits, upping the risk of fatalities on NHs by 12 times.”
Singh had also highlighted that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had done nothing to mitigate road fatalities on the highways.
24 VULNERABLE SPOTS
Singh’s report had identified a total of 24 accident-prone areas including three black spots — Majri chowk intersection, Aggarsen intersection, Sector 16/9 and Morni T-point intersection (NH-73).
Out of the 24 spots identified, 13 are on national highway and 11 within the MC limits. Also, as per a study conducted by road safety experts, the 31-km Morni-Panchkula stretch also lacks safety features and has around 115 hairpin bends, five dangerous bridges and 45 bridge culverts.
CONTROL MEASURES
The Panchkula police recently stationed as many as 25 bike quick response teams across the city and highways in the district.
Panchkula assistant commissioner of police (ACP Traffic) Om Parkash said, “13 bike quick response teams have been assigned for the highways while 12 teams are for city roads. The teams, each with two riders, are deployed on national and state highways and other accident-prone areas in Panchkula.”
The ACP further said that the traffic police teams are also conducting sessions on road safety and traffic rules at several parts in the district. He said teams are reviewing and taking effective measures at vulnerable spots.
Also, the municipal corporation (MC) recently painted two major intersections under the flyover on the Kalka-Zirakpur highway — the Sector 20 light point, and the Majri intersection near Sector 1 — which are among the black spots. Besides, the MC has revamped eight roundabouts with geometrical corrections and finalised a non-motorised traffic (NMT) corridor to come up in the city.
