BENGALURU: Every day, two people are losing their lives on dangerous roads of Bengaluru. In just two months -- January and February of this year -- 168 people have lost their lives.
In 2023, 915 people died in road accidents in Bengaluru, while the toll was 12,327 across the state. Since 2019, the number of deaths has steadily gone up.
ADGP, Road Safety and Traffic, Alok Kumar, said that in 2023, an average of 34 people died in road accidents across the state every day. Bengaluru recorded the highest number of 4,974 accidents, in which 915 people died and 4,162 were injured. Bengaluru was followed by Belagavi and Tumakuru.
Most of the accidents were reported during peak traffic hours of 6 pm to 9 pm, While 55-60% of the accidents involved two-wheeler riders, 15-20% had pedestrians as victims. The rest of the accidents involved cars, trucks and autorickshaws. The majority of those who lost their lives were men aged between 18 and 40. Maximum fatalities were reported on national and state highways. The rest of the accidents occurred at key hotspots in the city, including Kengeri, Yeshwanthpur, Chikkajala, Peenya and Yelahanka.
Alok Kumar said, “In certain scenarios, delays in ambulance response and insufficient victim care have resulted in the loss of life. Discussions have been held with district health officers to ensure prompt 108 ambulance response and implementation of post-trauma accident protocols.”
The primary causes of accidents included reckless driving and inadequate infrastructure, along with a significant number of riders neglecting to wear helmets. Every year, the traffic police issue notices to over 50,000 riders for not wearing helmets.
Discussions are on with the government to build walkways along major roads and to install pre-record signboards on national highways and even in the city. There are also plans to enforce use of helmets for children below four years old.