Tamil Nadu   

“Lives lost in accidents affect country’s growth”

TAMBARAM: The large number of lives lost in road accidents had a direct impact on the country’s growth, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu said on Saturday.

Speaking after dedicating the Accident and Emergency Services Building at Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital, popularly known as Chromepet GH, he said the rate of accidents had reached such alarming levels in India that one person died every five minutes and five people were injured every minute.

Citing reports from the World Health Organisation and the World Bank, Mr. Baalu said road traffic injuries were “neglected global health problems” that needed concerted efforts for effective and sustainable prevention.

Further, without increased efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic injuries and deaths throughout the world would increase 65 per cent by 2020. About 1.05 lakh people were killed in road accidents in the country in 2006. Widening and improvement of National Highways with construction of flyovers, provision of service lanes, geometrical correction of road alignments and creation of medians were all part of steps to bring down the accident rate, Mr. Baalu said.

As part of the National Highways Accident Relief Service Scheme, 437 ambulances and 252 cranes were provided to all States till now.

A total of 106 ambulances were deployed in completed stretches of National Highways and 96 route patrol vehicles were provided so far all over the country.

In Tamil Nadu, the Centre was constructing 53 road overbridges, 66 major bridges, 80 flyovers and 303 radial roads and bypasses. New roads were being created at the cost of Rs. 12,250 crore. Along with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu accounted for a large number of people killed in road accidents.

A total of 11,009 people died in road accidents in Tamil Nadu in 2006.

Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam, Labour Welfare Minister T.M. Anbarasan, Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj and Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja spoke.

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