MUMBAI: For the second consecutive year, Maharashtra had the third-most fatalities on both national and state highways in 2022, as per the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
While the national highways in the state saw a 21% rise in deaths — 4,833 fatalities from 8,339 crashes — as compared to 2021, state highways recorded an 8% jump — 4,098 casualties in 7,490 crashes — in the same period.The state expressways accounted for 87 deaths from 191 crashes. In all, Maharashtra saw 30,546 crashes, including on internal roads, resulting in 15,748 deaths.
The NCRB report said in 2022, the highest fatalities on national highways were recorded in UP (8,236), followed by TN (5,978). TN’s state highways saw the most deaths (6,364), followed by UP (6,070) in the same period, it said. UP led in fatalities (1,310) on expressways, too, with Haryana (107), WB (101), Maharashtra and Gujarat (64) lagging far behind, said the report.
The NCRB data showed that on highways across India, a majority of the crashes — 90,663 from a total of 4,46,768 — was reported between 6pm and 9pm. At 59.7%, rural areas accounted for the most crashes. Nearly 58% of the crashes was due to speed ing and 26% due to dangerous and careless driving or overtaking. Collectively, all the national highways, which make up 1.33 lakh kilometres of the total 63.3 lakh kilometres road length) accounted for the highest road accidents (30.5%). State highways, which are 1.8 lakh km long, reported 23.8% of the road accidents in the country, the data showed.
Road safety activist Harshad Abhyankar, who has filed a petition in the SC seeking a drop in the speed limit on Samruddhi Mahamarg from 120kmph to 100kmph, called the rise in deaths in the state “a disturbing trend”. “Some government department or entity should be held accountable for this,” he said. “It’s always a blame game. The BMC or the state road agencies are to blame for poor road conditions and for absence of adequate signage. A single entity should take responsibility and ensure that fatalities go down.” He said regional transport offices in the state have poor testing facilities for new driving licences. “It takes just 30 seconds to a minute (to issue a licence), unlike in developed nations, where each applicant spends up to half an hour on a stringent driving test,” he said.
MUMBAI:
A transport department source said efforts are underway to curb crashes on Maharashtra’s highways and reduce fatalities by 50% much before the Centre’s deadline of 2030 for the same.
While the national highways in the state saw a 21% rise in deaths — 4,833 fatalities from 8,339 crashes — as compared to 2021, state highways recorded an 8% jump — 4,098 casualties in 7,490 crashes — in the same period.The state expressways accounted for 87 deaths from 191 crashes. In all, Maharashtra saw 30,546 crashes, including on internal roads, resulting in 15,748 deaths.
The NCRB report said in 2022, the highest fatalities on national highways were recorded in UP (8,236), followed by TN (5,978). TN’s state highways saw the most deaths (6,364), followed by UP (6,070) in the same period, it said. UP led in fatalities (1,310) on expressways, too, with Haryana (107), WB (101), Maharashtra and Gujarat (64) lagging far behind, said the report.
The NCRB data showed that on highways across India, a majority of the crashes — 90,663 from a total of 4,46,768 — was reported between 6pm and 9pm. At 59.7%, rural areas accounted for the most crashes. Nearly 58% of the crashes was due to speed ing and 26% due to dangerous and careless driving or overtaking. Collectively, all the national highways, which make up 1.33 lakh kilometres of the total 63.3 lakh kilometres road length) accounted for the highest road accidents (30.5%). State highways, which are 1.8 lakh km long, reported 23.8% of the road accidents in the country, the data showed.
Road safety activist Harshad Abhyankar, who has filed a petition in the SC seeking a drop in the speed limit on Samruddhi Mahamarg from 120kmph to 100kmph, called the rise in deaths in the state “a disturbing trend”. “Some government department or entity should be held accountable for this,” he said. “It’s always a blame game. The BMC or the state road agencies are to blame for poor road conditions and for absence of adequate signage. A single entity should take responsibility and ensure that fatalities go down.” He said regional transport offices in the state have poor testing facilities for new driving licences. “It takes just 30 seconds to a minute (to issue a licence), unlike in developed nations, where each applicant spends up to half an hour on a stringent driving test,” he said.
MUMBAI:
A transport department source said efforts are underway to curb crashes on Maharashtra’s highways and reduce fatalities by 50% much before the Centre’s deadline of 2030 for the same.
