NEW DELHI: The national capital witnessed a slight reduction of 6% in road accident fatalities in the first half of this year, a senior Delhi Traffic police officer shared on Sunday.
According to the data, as of May 15, 2024, a total of 518 people lost their lives in 511 fatal road crashes which marks a decrease from the 552 deaths recorded in 544 crashes during the same period of 2023.
The official informed that National Highway (NH) 24, NH 8, Ring Road, Rohtak Road, GTK Road, Mathura Road are among the top ten streches of roads in the national capital where the highest number of fatal accidents have occurred this year. “With this information, we can implement targeted enforcement measures to enhance road safety and ensure compliance with traffic regulations, ultimately aiming to reduce fatalities on these roads,” the officer said.
He said that in addition to law enforcement measures, the Delhi Traffic Police has prioritised community engagement and collaboration to foster a culture of road safety.
“Educational programmes conducted in partnership with schools, colleges, and various stakeholders have been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of adhering to traffic regulations and adopting safe driving practices,” the official added.
Although pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized two and three-wheelers are more vulnerable due to being less protected than car occupants, the heavy burden of deaths borne by these road users is also a reflection of infrastructure and vehicle design that prioritizes car and other motorised transport.
In Delhi, fatality rate per one lakh population has shown a declining trend since 2013. The fatalities have been showing a downward trend from the year 2009 but in the year 2018, the trend was reversed, as the fatality rate increased. In 2022, the fatality rate was almost 7%.
Officials say that the Traffic Police have implemented various measures to tackle road crashes which include addressing reckless driving and drunken driving, establishing an effective enforcement mechanism, conducting real-time data analysis, enhancing driver education and training programs, utilizing modern technology, and collaborating with various stakeholders to improve road engineering issues.