BENGALURU: Strict enforcement of traffic regulations appears to have yielded results, considering the fact that 2017 was one of the safest years in terms of fatal and non-fatal accidents. However, experts feel that high vehicle density had a major role to play in reduced accidents, along with enforcement.
Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) data shows that 641 people were killed in 608 fatal accidents in 2017, which is the lowest since 2001 at least, when 668 fatalities were reported. During the year, non-fatal accidents - 4457 - was also lesser than the average for the past 10 years which is 5,589. The number of injuries was also lesser than the 10 year average and stood at 4,251.
Drunk driving
The cases of drunk driving increased by 25 per in 2017, as compared to 2016. Of the 73,741 cases booked in 2017, almost one-seventh of the number were reported in the party-heavy month of December, during which 10,517 complaints were filed.During 2016, 59,028 cases were filed, while the number was 62,576 in 2015.
Speaking to Express, traffic expert M N Sreehari said that traffic congestion played a vital role in reducing accidents in the city. “Very few people can ride or drive at more than 60 kph in the city, which has resulted in reduced accidents,” he said. In order to ensure better traffic conditions and improve safety, enforcement should be increased and the shortage of traffic personnel should be addressed,” he said.
Better traffic conditions will prevail only if motorists and road-users abide strictly by the rules, he said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), R Hithendra said that enforcement and awareness helped in reducing the number of accidents in city. “Historically, accidents in central business district are less, and more on the outskirts of the city,” he said. On increase of drunk driving cases, he said that it was because city traffic police were very strict while dealing with the issue.