The Centre has issued the report on road accidents in India in 2015. The statistics are depressingly alarming as the numbers from the report reveal a critical situation with regard to the price of human lives on our roads.
Firstly, research by the transport wing, has revealed that the total number of road accidents that took place was 5.01 lakh as compared to 4.89 lakh and this was an increase by 2.5 per cent. Further, the total number of people killed was 1.46 lakh in 2015 as compared to 1.39 lakh in 2014, a jump of 4.6 per cent. If we divide this figure further, that’s 1374 accidents and 400 deaths a day. Down to the last hour this translates 57 accidents and 17 deaths every sixty minutes!
Out of these numbers 13 states have earned the dubious distinction of accounting for 86.7 per cent of all accident across the country. Out of these, Tamil Nadu top the list with 69,059 mishaps while in 13th place is Haryana which had 11, 174 accidents last year. These 13 states also account for 83.6 per cent of all road accident fatalities. The primary cause of accidents in 2015 is reported to excessive speed which was responsible for 77.1 per cent as compared to 78.1 per cent in 2014, the only statistic in this list to reduce.
Commenting on the occasion, union minister for transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari reiterated India’s resolve and commitment as a signatory to the Brasilia Declaration, to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020.
