Kolkata: Bengal witnessed 13,795 accidents in 2023, resulting in 12,615 injuries. A total of 5,664 fatal accidents claimed 6,027 lives. These numbers were enough to ensure Bengal moved out of the first 10 most accident-prone states in the country, even though the total number of states increased slightly from 2022.
This was revealed in the annual accident report 2023, prepared by the Union ministry of road transport and released earlier last week.
In Bengal, as in the rest of India, road accidents decreased in 2020 compared to 2019. In 2019, there were 456,959 road accidents across the country, which decreased to 327,218 in 2020, along with a reduction in the number of fatalities. However, since 2021, the numbers have started to rise again.
The situation is similar in Bengal. In 2019, there were 12,658 road accidents in the state, which decreased to 10,863 in 2020 and rose back to 13,795 in 2023.
The decline in accidents in the country and the state was due to Covid-19 and the lockdown, said state police and transport experts.
Incidentally, Bengal witnessed 1,251 hit-and-run accidents, killing 762 people. In 1,426 accidents that killed 576 people, head-on collisions were blamed as the primary reasons behind the accidents.
There were 139 accidents involving parked vehicles, killing 56 people. A total of 3,140 accidents involved the affected vehicle or pedestrian being hit from behind, killing 1,272 people. Similarly, 1,419 accidents saw 392 deaths after the affected vehicle was hit sideways.
The report states that 283 accidents involved vehicles going off the road, leading to 99 deaths. There were 583 accidents when vehicles smashed into fixed objects like trees and lamp posts, killing 340 people.
In 253 accidents that killed 92 people, the reason for deaths was overturned vehicles. There were 5,301 accidents where the exact cause could not be determined, resulting in 2,438 deaths."The rise in fatal accidents in this phase in the state was due to all Covid restrictions being removed and a massive rise in private vehicles, including two-wheelers.
It is comforting that the severity of accidents has gone down.
The Safe Drive Save Life initiative has ensured for years now that we are not even in the top 10 most accident-prone states. Several plans, in association with multiple agencies, have been devised to ensure there is further reduction in this regard," said an ADG-level official at Bhawani Bhawan.
According to police sources and transport experts, to combat the menace of speeding, it is crucial for individuals to be aware of and strictly adhere to speed limits.
Enhanced enforcement, through both increased patrolling and electronic measures under Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act (MVAA), is deemed necessary. Notably, the state govt has taken significant steps to address speeding-related crashes, including the installation of speed cameras in Kolkata and the establishment of an inter-departmental committee in 2017 to devise protocols for speed limits and signage.
"Expressways and highways pose an even graver risk due to higher posted speed limits and increased traffic volume, including larger trucks. Speeding amplifies the complexity of interactions between vehicles, making it harder for drivers to predict and respond to the movements of other road users. Additionally, variability in road conditions, such as sharp turns and shifts in elevation, exacerbates the danger," said a retired ADG who now works with an NGO that focuses on enhancing road safety.