The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Road accident rate likely to increase fourfold

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Road accident rate likely to increase fourfold

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI, JAN. 6 . Tamil Nadu is losing Rs.700 crores a year in road accidents. The State stands second in the Accident Risk Index in the country, and the number of accidents is estimated to increase fourfold by 2025. So is the likely cost of accidents.

Scenario grim

Traffic experts say the road accident scenario in the State is grim, as the number of vehicles has gone up phenomenally in seven years ended 2003. Experience has shown that the number of accidents could be brought down, despite an increase in the vehicle population. But, it requires a scientific solution. According to the latest road safety policy, prepared by a team and submitted to the Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project, the number of vehicles, which was 30,66,093 in 1996, went up by 35,25,131 in seven years.

For instance, the 1996 vehicle population went up by 4,35,068 in the next year, recording a 14.19 per cent growth. The estimated increase in road accidents by nearly four times in the next 20 years is cause for concern. The estimated number of accidents, which will be 55,000 to 60,000 this year, is expected to go up to 1.63 to 2.54 lakhs by 2025 (see graphics).

Motorised two-wheelers accounted for 80 per cent of the total number of vehicles of 65,91,224 in 2003. On an average, for every 10,000 motorised two-wheelers, 2.2 persons die.

Analysis of the data on accidents and fatalities show that on an average, there are 7.7 road accidents for every 1,000 vehicles. There are six road accidents every hour in the State; one person dies every hour.

Infrastructure deficiencies such as improper design of roads and intersections contribute to accidents.

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