BENGALURU: On a daily basis, two people were killed, and 11 people suffered injuries in road accidents in the city until November. Nearly 70 per cent of these accidents occurred at night, which experts attribute to over-speeding, poor visibility, lack of driving skills, and inadequate infrastructure.
According to data till November-end, 780 fatal accidents were reported, in which 802 people lost their lives. Besides, 3,685 people were injured in 3,571 non-fatal accidents. In 2023, there were 882 fatal accidents and 4,092 non-fatal accidents reported. This year, most number of accidents took place in the jurisdiction of the International Airport traffic police station, which recorded 224 accidents, resulting in 53 fatalities and 230 injuries. This was followed by KR Puram traffic police station, where 222 cases were reported.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic - South Division) Shivaprakash Devaraju told TNIE that night accidents have become a worrying trend in the city, with 75-80 per cent of fatal and non-fatal accidents occurring between 6 pm and 6 am.
Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the most vulnerable. Poor visibility and overspeeding at night makes it difficult for commuters to spot pedestrians and other obstructions, leading to fatal collisions. He further added that most nighttime accidents are self-accidents, often associated with overspeeding and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Mobility expert from IISc, Prof Ashish Verma, told TNIE that nighttime accidents in the city are increasing due to poor infrastructure and risky driving behaviours, such as signal jumping and rash driving. “There is an immediate need for better road design, stricter enforcement of traffic rules, and focused awareness programmes to combat this growing problem,” he added.