Maharashtra among 3 states with highest deaths in road accidents: Govt

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With 11,452 deaths in 2020, Maharashtra figured among top three states that have reported the highest number of deaths in road accidents in the country, state Transport Minister Anil Parab said on Monday.

Expressing concern, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said these figures are serious, as he launched the 32nd Road Safety Week 2021.

"In 2020, Maharashtra witnessed 25,456 road accidents and 11,452 road fatalities. Maharashtra is one of the three states that have reported the highest number of deaths in road accidents," Parab said at the function.

Thackeray said, ideally, Maharashtra should not figure in the list of the states which have reported deaths in road accidents.

"These figures are serious. Rather than being in top ranks, Maharashtra should not ideally figure in the list of states with road accident fatalities," he said.

The chief minister said a road safety drive should not be limited to a period of a week, fortnight, month or a year, but it should be conducted on a regular basis.

"Booster doses of road safety rules should be given at regular intervals," he said.

Thackeray further appealed to motorists to follow the "Niyam" (rules) and maintain "Sanyam" (restraint) to keep "Yam" (God of death) away.

"I have heard about a new technology which alerts drivers if they fall asleep while driving due to fatigue. I would like to examine such vehicle, if available," the chief minister said.

Thackeray said it was important to provide facilities to the public instead of only creating awareness.

Meanwhile, Parab said 50 high quality driver training centres will be opened in Maharashtra through the schemes funded by the Union government.

Parab said getting a driving licence won't be easy once these centres become operational.

"Every driver will undergo a test at an automatic centre. Human interference will be less and a drivers will get his licence only after going through quality training," Parab said, adding that a meeting is scheduled in Delhi about setting up such training centres.

The transport minister said the road safety drive should be held annually and not on a weekly or a monthly basis.

"Every citizen should be part of this drive," he added.

Parab said his department had sought new interceptor vehicles fitted with advanced gadgets like speed guns.

Mumbai guardian minister Aslam Shaikh said lane-cutting was one of the major causes of road accidents.

"If lane-cutting behaviour is checked and campaigns against drunk driving implemented, Maharashtra''s road fatalities ranking will improve from three to seven," he said.

Shaikh also underlined the need to increase the amount of traffic fine.

"The process of getting a driving licence is very easy at present, and hence, it should be made tougher, for better results," he added.

Maharashtra Transport Secretary Ashish Kumar Singh said the road safety week will be celebrated as a "road safety month" between January 18 and February 15.

He said road accidents have claimed more lives last year compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Road accidents are a universal emergency, and the same situation is there in Maharashtra," Singh said, adding that three ''E''s of education, enforcement, and engineering are important.

He said the Maharashtra government has approved works for development of 22 hi-tech test tracks and 10 vehicles testing centres. "An amount of up to Rs 300 crore will be spent from the Road Safety Fund," Singh added.

ADGP, Maharashtra Police, Bhushankumar Upadhyay said the concept of ''My family My responsibility'' (the name of the state government''s anti-COVID-19 campaign) is also applicable in road safety.

"More we educate our family members about traffic rules and make children and adult family members aware about their importance, it will be more beneficial to road safety," Upadhyay said.

He said a fine of Rs 597 crore was collected, but revenue collection of fines is not the motto of the government.

"Revenue figures should be brought down to minimum as possible, which would mean that people are following traffic rules," he said, adding that the number of (accident) "black spots" should be gone down from 1,077 spots at present.

He also stressed that regular programmes are necessary in schools and colleges to spread awareness among the students about traffic and road safety rules.

On the occasion, the chief minister felicitated district collectors of Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban, Sindhudurg and Aurangabad for maximum reduction in road accidents and fatalities in the year 2020.

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