Office transit hours most risky
No. of road fatalities went up in 2019; young commuters remained most vulnerable
CHANDIGARH: Most fatal accidents in Chandigarh took place between 6am and 9am and 6pm and 9pm, the time slots when people go to or return from work, while almost half of those killed comprise of people in the age group of 16 to 40, making them the most vulnerable.
This has been revealed in the report compiled by the Chandigarh traffic police for 2019.
According to the report, there were 104 fatalities in 100 accidents in 2019, a slight increase from 98 deaths in 97 road mishaps in 2018. This year, so far, there have been 17 road fatalities, as compared to 35 till July 1 last year, said deputy inspector general of police (DIG, traffic) Shashank Anand.
The time slot of 6pm-9pm account for 21 of the total 100 fatal accidents while 16 happened between 6am-9am.
“These are the office transit hours, which is why maximum number of vehicles are on the road, leading to the highest number of fatal accidents,” said deputy superintendent of police (DSP, traffic administration) Kewal Krishan, adding that keeping this fact in mind, more number of traffic cops are deployed during these hours.
Umesh Sharma, professor in the civil engineering department at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) who specialises in traffic and transportation system management, said: “Most people are in a hurry when they’re getting late, which might be causing these accidents.” He said traffic needs to be segregated further and two-wheelers should avoid using the same lane as cars, as this puts them at risk.
With 51 of the total 103 victims, where the age was known, being 16 to 40 years old, DSP, road safety, Jaswinder Singh said: “We are organising frequent awareness sessions for the youth at the Children’s Traffic Park in Sector 23. We have recently been working with delivery boys and educating them to wear helmets for their own safety.”
TWO-WHEELER RIDERS TOPPED FATALITIES
According to the report, twowheeler riders were the most vulnerable, accounting for 46 (44%) of the 104 people killed, though down from 46% in 2018.
Even as the administration is trying to rejuvenate pedestrian paths and cycle tracks under the smart city plan, those on foot or bicycles remain vulnerable, comprising of 34% and 10% victims, respectively, just 1% drop from 2018 figures in both cases.
“The junctions where pedestrian paths meet the main road are not properly designed. Ideally, underpasses must be made for the safety of cyclists and the pedestrians,” said VK Bhardwaj, former chief engineer of the municipal corporation.
Meanwhile, cars caused the most number of accidents — 41 of 87 cases where the accused vehicle was identified. This was followed by two-wheelers and trucks, in 15 cases each. Road safety activist Harpreet Singh said: “Most car drivers behave as if the whole road belongs to them, due to which such fatal accidents take place.”
“The emphasis this year will be on bringing the number of fatal accidents down,” said DIG Anand. “Ever since we installed six speed radars with display boards in December 2019, there has been no fatal accident at these vulnerable points,” he said, while adding the number has been low due to the lockdown as well.