KOCHI: Ernakulam district accounts for nearly 15% of all accidents in the state while Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur are second and third, according to a report released by the Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA).“The average accident rate in a year in the state was 34,095, of which 5,038 occurred in Ernakulam district alone,” said KRSA Executive Director T Elangovan while releasing the report at Accident-Free Cochin, a workshop organised by the GCDA along with NATPAC.
Around 37% crashes in Ernakulam district occurred within Ernakulam City Police limit, which consists of Ernakulam Town South, Ernakulam Town North, Palluruthy, Infopark, Ernakulam Central, Kalamassery, Fort Kochi, Hill Palace and Mattanchery circles. In 2021, 1,780 accidents had occurred within Ernakulam city, causing 141 fatalities and 1,758 injuries. Around 23% of the victims in road crashes within the city were either non-motorised vehicle users or cyclists. Among vehicles, 61% were two-wheelers, followed by car/jeep (21%), three-wheelers (5%), buses (4%) and lorries/trucks (3%).
Elangovan said multisector intervention is needed to tackle the issue.“Accident-Free Cochin means nobody should get injured or die on the roads due to accidents. We should aim for zero fatality. Accident reduction is not a task of the police and MVD alone. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders,” the officer said.
NATPAC director Samson Mathew said an action plan including straightening of road curves, eviction of encroachments and correcting of black spots should be taken immediately. Cochin Shipyard Additional GM (Safety) Abdul Manaf, RBG Labs chief manager Srinath Raghavan and IIT Madras led the technical sessions. Mayor M Anilkumar inaugurated the workshop.