Road accident deaths cross 13k mark in Maharashtra; most of them due to human error

Road accidents in Maharashtra in 2018 have resulted in over 13,000 deaths, the highest in the last three years, and around 80 per cent of these were caused due to human error, state Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said Monday. He was speaking after inaugurating the Road Safety Week here.

"In 2018, a total of 13,059 persons died in road accidents in Maharashtra. In 2016, the figure was 12,935 while it was 12,511 in 2017," he said. Raote added, "Of the 13,059 deaths in 2018, 80 per cent, or around 11,000, were caused due to human error. A sizable part of this 80 per cent was caused by rash driving." Pedestrians, two-wheeler riders and cyclists together comprise 66 per cent of the fatalities, he informed.

He said 1,324 black spots (road segments where a high number of accidents have occurred) have been identified in Maharashtra, adding that his department was working with the state Public Works department to rectify them. Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Shekhar Chaute said various measures were being taken to bring down the number of road accidents, including the issuance of e-challans.

"There were 41,000 cases registered against people for rash driving in 2017. The number of cases increased to 7.70 lakh in 2018. It is mainly due to the growing use of CCTV cameras resulting in the issuing of e-challans," Chaute said. He added the state has 3.41 crore licence holders..

(With inputs from agencies.)