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Near Councillor Quarter,
India.
Road accidents on rise, 56 cases registered till June in Leh
By Stanzin Dasal & Kunzang Chosdol
LEH,
Jul 19, 2018
LEH :
With an alarming increase in the number of vehicles, road accidents are also increasing in Leh. As per police data, this year till June 27, a total of 56 road accidents were reported, killing 15 and injuring 67 people in the district.
Road accidents both fatal and non-fatal are undoubtedly the most frequent with major damage and the actual cause of the mishap needs to be ascertained.
Manzoor Ahmed, DY SP Traffic, Leh and Kargil said that Ladakh being a hilly area and icy road condition in winters, even a minor accident can prove fatal. The risk of injury and death is more as compared to the road accident happen in the plain areas. The accidents that happen in the town area are due to the heavy influx of motor vehicles with inadequate broad roads and parking space.
“Today almost every family owns more than one car without any parking facilities at their home. And also the parking space in public areas is insufficient which has created chaos on the road. The road infrastructure around Leh main market needs improvement for free movement of traffic and to avoid various roads related issues”, he said.
He further added, “People tend to wear the seat belt, helmet or run away while seeing traffic police on roads. Traffic rules are meant to ensure the safety of every citizen and it is the responsibility of each one of us to understand and follow these rules. Also, we need a strict regulation for issuing licenses and permits,”
In the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of registered vehicles from 5000 to 20,000. Though motor vehicles give comfort and easy accessibility, the negative impact such as pollution and the threat to the life cannot be overlooked.
Khadim Hussain, ARTO, Leh said, “We have taken a major step by banning the permit issue for all the contract carriages and the replacement of old taxi with the new one.”
In Ladakh, the risk of accident increase during the marriage season and celebrations as people consume alcohol. To reduce drunken driving, District Police, Leh started using breath analyzer from this year.
Sargun Shukla, SSP, Leh said, “Ladakh is vast in terms of area and it becomes very difficult to deploy police personnel everywhere. There is a need for accountability and a sense of responsibility while using the road. There are also some hit and run cases in Leh and to trace them becomes difficult without any witnesses. There is a need for more technology to check and implement traffic regulation. We are trying to install CCTV with night vision equipment, Automatic number plate reader at various places to detect reckless driving on the road.”
The road accident data of the past five years as per Police Department, Leh:
|
S. No. |
Year |
Total no. of road accident |
Fatal |
Nonfatal |
Person killed |
Person injured |
Grievously injured |
|
1 |
2014 |
103 |
32 |
71 |
34 |
84 |
09 |
|
2 |
2015 |
96 |
28 |
68 |
28 |
75 |
11 |
|
3 |
2016 |
94 |
34 |
60 |
54 |
64 |
12 |
|
4 |
2017 |
82 |
25 |
57 |
36 |
123 |
25 |
|
5 |
2018 Up to June 27 |
56 |
12 |
44 |
15 |
53 |
14 |
|
Total |
431 |
131 |
300 |
167 |
399 |
71 |
|
Accurate and complete data is important to understand the causes so as to intervene necessary road safety measures and policy to prevent road accidents. However, the data with the police department does not mention the causes.
Khadim Hussain said, “If we are able to identify the cause of the accidents, we can avert and reduce it.”
The reasons can be many such as hilly areas, reckless driving, overtaking and speeding, disobeying traffic laws and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. But among various reasons, one of the most common distractions is using the phone while driving.
Secondly, the cases of fatigue driving are also observed. Some drivers of the commercial vehicles tend to drive long routes without proper rest, increasing the risk of accident. Also, many parents allow minors to drive car and two-wheelers.
To deal with the casualties in an effective manner, Dr. Tsering Samphel, Medical Superintendent, SNM, Hospital Leh said, “We have a trauma unit with all kinds of facilities to ensure proper and timely treatment. Accident cases are mostly observed during evening hours.”
Every year road safety week is organised in the district to educate and sensitize the people about the traffic rules, causes and prevention of road mishap and to streamline the traffic.
Khadim Hussain informed that they are planning to establish a Driving and Training Research Centre in Phyang where training will be imparted to ensure road safety. They will make it mandatory for everyone without which driving license will not be issued.
Facilities ensuring pedestrian safety such as zebra crossing, footpaths, Footover Bridge, road signs etc. are also very important. In many places, footpaths are encroached by shopkeepers and use for parking vehicles. At places like Housing Colony footpaths are constructed high without any ramps. Thus, lack of easy accessibility is also causing inconveniences to the pedestrians.
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