The total number of fatalities in road accidents has come down by 26% in 2018, compared to 2017. While the number of people killed from January to October this year was 10,378, last year it was 14,077 during the same period, said an official release at the State-level Road Safety Committee meeting headed by Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar at the Secretariat on Thursday.
Among those killed, two-wheeler riders comprised 32% and those of four-wheelers 25%. More than 75% of the two-wheeler riders were killed in accidents were not wearing helmets.
As 3,507 pedestrians were killed in accidents, the Minister asked the officials to put up notice boards warning the pedestrians where works have been taken up and remove all the encroachments on roadsides.
Parking troubles
The number of grievously injured in the road accidents reduced by 9% in the period between January - October 2018, compared to the corresponding period last year. While the number was 5,5559 in 2017, this was 5,051 this year, an official release said.
With 297 persons were killed in accidents caused by heavy vehicles parked on the roads of the State and National Highways in 2017, Mr. Vijayabhaskar said the recent incidents indicated that this trend continued and asked the officials to regulate parking along the highways.
In the meeting, officials from the Municipal Administration, Highways, Revenue, and Police Department participated. The Minister asked them to take steps to install high mast lights, put up route maps and signs for motorists, construction of heavy vehicle parking bays and speed breakers along the State and National Highways.
The progress of the Automatic Fining System (AFS) project, being planned to be implemented on the GST Road between Chengalpet and Tiruchi for a length of 280 km, was also discussed at the meeting. Under the project, automatic e-challan would be generated to fine speeding vehicles.
