BHUBANESWAR : Enforcement of traffic rules, improvement in trauma care and intensified awareness on road safety notwithstanding, accident fatalities saw an uptick in Odisha last year.
With 6,142 deaths, the highest so far in a year, the state witnessed a seven per cent rise in road fatalities during 2024 as compared to 2023 while the fatality graph climbed by 29.6 per cent in five years. The state had recorded 4,738 deaths in 2020 and 5,739 deaths in 2023.
This rise in road accidents has left the state government worried, given the Supreme Court committee’s directive to reduce such fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020, using 2014 as the base year.
Unfortunately, the road crashes recorded a steady increase since then, with 9,817 accidents in 2020 followed by 10,984 in 2021, 11,663 in 2022, 11,992 in 2023 and 12,375 in 2024. The rate of severity (number of people killed per 100 accidents) is 49.6 per cent against the national average of 37 per cent.
Transport department sources said a total 27,167 people were killed and 50,041 injured in 56,831 road accidents in the state over the last five years. While 85 per cent of the accidents were due to human error and other associated issues, the rest were attributed to bad road engineering.
Over-speeding and drunk driving are two critical factors associated with road accidents in the state. Several accident-prone zones in the state lack proper signages, adequate lighting, or scientifically designed speed breakers. Unmarked potholes, sharp curves and poorly maintained roads have also contributed to accidents.
Commerce and Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said the lead agency on road safety has been asked to conduct crash investigations and find out the exact reasons behind the rise in fatalities. As per Crime Branch data, 6,925 accidents reported in 2023 were due to rash driving and over-speeding, and 649 due to driving in an inebriated state, he said.
A member of the state road safety committee Subrat Nanda said Odisha may have taken steps for stricter enforcement of traffic rules but the impact appears to be limited. Drunk driving remains a persistent issue despite regular enforcement drives. Delays in implementing long-term road safety measures such as blackspot rectification and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure continue to contribute to the rising fatalities, he said.
“We are planning a multi-pronged approach, including behavioural changes among drivers, robust road safety education, and effective coordination among Transport, police, and Health departments to achieve the target,” Jena said.