262 died in accidents during the lockdown in Tamil Nadu

Speeding cause of most mishaps

Despite fewer vehicles, accidents occurred because people indulged in speeding.

As many as 262 people died as a result of 251 road accidents across the State in April and May — peak lockdown months.

The deaths were part of the 2,375 deaths reported in road accidents between January and May. Data from the Traffic and Road Safety Cell revealed that the fatalities occurred as a consequence of 2,197 road accidents.

Interestingly, most of the accidents during the lockdown occurred due to speeding, as the roads were empty, officials explained.

Fewer vehicles

“During the lockdown, obviously there were fewer vehicles on the road. Yet, accidents occurred because the roads were free and people indulged in speeding. However, there were not too many incidents of collision. Mostly vehicles crashed against roadside railings or electric posts,” a senior official said.

On Monday alone, 17 deaths were reported from 16 road accidents in the State and, in most cases, involved two-wheelers. January saw 771 deaths from road accidents. The figure dipped to 732 in February and to 610 in March. In April and May, the deaths were lower — at 119 and 143, respectively.

Promodh Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Traffic and Road Safety Cell, said, “We have taken a lot of efforts to bring down accidents. It is a coordinated effort by police, transport and other departments. We are constantly reviewing black spots.”