With Odisha losing young lives on account of road accidents, the State government has decided to enforce Motor Vehicles Act strictly.
Of the total persons who died in road accidents in Odisha in 2019, 76% victims belonged to the age group of 18-45, while 41% of deaths took place as two-wheelers riders did not have helmets.
A high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, reviewed reasons leading to road accident deaths. The meeting was attended by District Collectors and Superintendent of Police from all districts.
“In 2019, 2,397 two-wheeler riders had died in road accidents as they had not worn helmet. A total of 5,333 persons lost their lives in road accidents in 2019. They constitute 41% of total deaths that occurred on road,” said Madhusudan Padhi, State Commerce and Transport Secretary.
The number of deaths fell by 11% in 2020 compared to 2019. Experts believe the drop in number of deaths was due to the lockdown. There was less movement of vehicles for a considerable period in 2020.
Chalking out plans
Mr. Mohapatra asked the District Collectors and SPs to come up with a strategy for bringing down the road accident deaths. “Rumbles should be fixed at places where major roads connect national highways. Safety instructions must be put up at rumbles,” he instructed.
A decision was taken to reduce the time taken in rushing ambulances to accident spots. A senior police officer would be supervising the rescue and admission of accident victims at the nearest hospital within an hour of the accident.
According to State Transport Secretary, 286 black spots (accident-prone spots) identified in 2016 have been attended. Moreover, 435 and 275 black spots identified in 2017 and 2018 respectively have also been taken care of. Work is going on regarding 335 black spots pinpointed in 2019.
