Many road accidents in the State are because of drunk driving and use of cellphone while at the wheel, according to Transport Minister K. Atchannaidu.
The government is taking a series of measures to prevent road accidents and has also set a target of bringing down the accidents by 50% in the next six months, he says. The Minister was replying to a question posed by BJP Floor leader P. Vishnu Kumar Raju during question hour in the Assembly on Thursday.
In all, 23,726 road accident were reported during the year 2016 as against 18,812 during the corresponding period (between January and October) in 2017. It was a decline of 5.29%. However, the number of deaths in road accident did not come down.
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“Many of the accidents are because of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving while talking on the cellphone,” he said.
“AP stands in the seventh position in the country with regard to the road accidents,” the Minister added.
“The government is urging the people to use helmets while driving a two-wheeler and wear seat belt while driving a four wheeler,” he said.
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Enforcement teams
The Transport Department created exclusive road safety enforcement teams in each district and booked 1,55,253 cases up to October 31. Prosecution was being launched against the offenders in case of drunk driving and over speeding, he said. The convicts were being sentenced to imprisonment ranging from three to five days, he said. He said an action plan was being prepared for a pilot project on the Tirupati-Rajampet National Highway.