SATISH HANDA
National Highways contribute hardly two percent out of total length of roads in the country still 30.55% road mishaps are reported on the highways and over speed is one of major reason for fast increasing accidents in spite of less traffic on highways. The number accident victims have witnessed drastic increase although vehicle manufactures claim introduced number of safety measures in their vehicles. Some of prominent reasons for increase in road mishaps has been observed as careless and rash driving, fog during winter season, driving in wrong direction, over speed, parking vehicle at wrong place, use of mobile phone while driving and driving under the influence of liquor.
Information reveals,, among those lost lives in road accidents in past one year include 22% between age 18-25 years, 26% between age 25-35 years and 22% between age 35-45 years. A survey report in Haryana state reveals that drop in road accidents was recorded between January to July 2020 when 22 cases of accidents were reported daily as againt 30 cases recorded in this period in previous year thus recording 26.88% fall in death rate in these accidents. According to DGP (Law & Order) Haryana Navdeep Singh Virk, between 11000-12000 road mishaps are reported in Haryana every year in which between 4500 to 5500 persons are reported died but number of road mishaps between January to July 2020 was recorded as 4024 having drop of 1467 road accidents as against 5491 accidents registered in the state in 2019 in which 2532 persons lost lives and 3391 persons injured.
Madan Lal DSP Traffic Wing Ambala told that that nearly 70% increase in vehicles has been recorded in past sometime and graph of accidents constantly rising due to neglect in driving. He disclosed that 1403 road accidents has been reported in past three years in the district in which 701 persons lost lives and 1126 persons injured which included 570 road accidents in 2018 killing 275 persons and 453 injured, 481 road accidents in 2019 in which 245 persons died and 390 injured and 352 road accidents registered in 2020 in which 181 persons lost lives and 283r injured.