LUCKNOW: Contrary to the perception that the number of road accidents came down due to restriction during the lockdown, the number of mishaps is increasing with the progression of lockdown from first phase to fourth, if the data available from different sources is any indication.
As per the studies conducted by Save Life Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working in the field of road safety in collaboration with various state governments, 33 per cent of the total countrywide fatalities in road crashes since the commencement of the first phase of lockdown on March 25, have occurred in Uttar Pradesh.
While 467 people lost lives and 968 were injured in 1261 road crashes across the country during the lockdown period, 157 of them had died in Uttar Pradesh till May 20. This included major mishaps in Auraiyya where 24 migrant labourers and Etawah where six farmers lost their lives, respectively on May 16 and May 20.
However, the data available with the state police integrated emergency centre UP-112, shows that while the daily average of road mishaps had declined during the first phase of lockdown to 90 it rose to 301 per day in the third phase till May 17. These figures register an increase of over 333 per cent in the incidents of road crashes during the period between first and the third phase of lockdown.
As per the sources in UP-112, the average figure of reported road accidents before the lockdown in March was around 631 incidents daily. It came down to 90 per day during March 25 and April 14.
However, during the second phase of lockdown between April 15 and May 3, the frequency of road crashes rose to 124 daily.
This figure rose to 301 road crashes daily in the third phase from May 4 to May 17. The reason for the rise in the frequency of road crashes with the progression of lockdown is being attributed to the relaxation in curbs and increasing vehicular movement on the roads.
According to a senior UP-112 official the number of mishaps would rise with the rise in the concentration of vehicles on the roads.
“The horrific mishap like the one in Auraiyya, Uttar Pradesh, which killed 24 migrant labourers, was a grim reminder of the impact of road crashes. As per the studies, around 200 migrant workers had lost their lives and 850 had sustained injuries in road crashes across the country during the national lockdown till May 24. UP has seen the maximum number of these road crash deaths,” says Piyush Tiwari, founder and CEO of Save Life Foundation, working in the field of road safety.
As per the road safety experts, higher movement of vehicles, the frequency of movement of vehicles and also speed plays a crucial role in the increase or decrease of road crashes.
However, suggesting certain measures to check the road crashes, Tiwari said that the respective states should increase patrolling on highways.
“NHAI and other agencies should deploy vehicles should patrolling and they should keep a tab on the speeding, barriers should be placed after every 20 km in the risky stretches of roads,” he said.
Tiwari also suggested a protocol which could be followed to minimise the incidents of road crashes.
“This protocol envisages two drivers for long-distance travel which may take more than 12 hours. While one driver could manage short distance trips which may last less than 8 hours but on trips ranging from 8 to 12 hours, the driver should be accompanied by a conductor,” said Tiwari.