CHENNAI: The number of fatal mishaps and lives lost in mishaps involving vehicles in Tamil Nadu have fallen sharply by some 24 per cent in the last seven months.
Data compiled by the Transport department shows that the number of fatal mishaps — 6996 in 2018, against 9,231 in the same period in 2017 — have fallen by 24.21 per cent while fatalities — 7,526 in 2018, against 9,881 in the same period in 2017 — have fallen by 23.83 per cent.
A slew of measures initiated by the Transport department in cooperation with the other stakeholders is cited to have paid the dividends. These include creation of better awareness, crackdown on violations, improvement in road infrastructure and quick response with medical aid. “The cutting down of response time has resulted in saving several lives,” said C Samayamoorthy, Transport Commissioner.
However, accidents involving two-wheelers remain a concern. Between January and July this year, 2,476 persons were killed in 2,390 fatal mishaps involving two-wheelers across the State. Of a 38,491 mishaps, two-wheelers accounted for 15,601.