BHUBANESWAR: Overspeeding, wrong side as well as drunken driving emerged as the three major reasons behind rising road fatalities, accounting for 75 per cent of accident-related deaths in Odisha, in 2024.
The state recorded 12,375 road accidents with 6,142 fatalities, up by 7 pc, and the highest, so far, last year. Approximately 4,633 people were killed due to the three reasons. As many as 10,770 people were also injured during the period.
The November- March phase was found to be the most vulnerable with 2,869 deaths recorded in 5,744 accidents.
With rising road fatalities emerging as a major concern, the Odisha government has decided to conduct a special enforcement drive from November to March, considered to be the most vulnerable period with maximum accidents. Growth in fatality rate was also found to be higher during the period as compared to 2023.
An analysis of last year’s accident data indicated that overspeeding led to 7,269 road mishaps and 3,846 deaths, driving on wrong side claimed 470 lives in 1,103 accidents, drunken driving and consumption of drugs during driving caused 317 deaths in 838 road mishaps. While use of mobile phone during driving killed 235 people in 585 accidents, 35 deaths were reported in 88 accidents due to jumping of red light.
According to the data released by the Commerce and Transport department, 55 pc of total accidents and 56 pc of total fatalities occurred on national and state highways in 2024. The highest 5,490 accidents and 3,017 deaths involved two-wheelers, followed by 1,796 accidents and 739 deaths involving cars, taxis and LMVs and 1,296 accidents and 607 fatalities involving trucks and lorries.
More than 47,000 people have lost their lives and over 1 lakh people got seriously injured in road accidents in last 10 years. On an average, 16 people die every day in Odisha and it is among the states with highest accident severity rate, the data stated.
While maximum accidents were recorded during 3 pm and 9 pm, districts including Puri, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Gajapati and Jharsuguda reported an increase in both accidents and fatalities in March 2024 as compared to the same period in 2023.
Transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur said a four-month- long special enforcement drive has been planned to curb the accidents and reduce deaths. “We are already observing zero fatality fortnight from November 16 to 30. The special drive will start from December and continue till March. Besides, zero tolerance day will be observed every Wednesday and Friday as usual jointly with police against traffic violations,” he added.
The special drive to be conducted jointly with police will focus on drunken driving, over speeding, juvenile offence, overloading in goods carriage, checking of road worthiness of public vehicles, helmetless driving, use of retro reflective tapes and other traffic violations. It has also been decided to intensify the drive near picnic spots, ghat areas, accident-prone areas and during night time.