66% riders, pillion riders died of head injuries

NT NETWORK

 

PANAJI

Stressing on the need to wear a helmet, the Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Muktesh Chander has said that majority of the riders and pillion riders have died due to head injury in road accidents.

Chander said that the analysis of road accidents data of 2017 has revealed that 71 per cent fatalities in road accident are of two-wheeler riders and pillion riders of which 66 per cent deaths were due to head injury. Of all riders/pillion riders, who died in road accidents, 73 per cent were not wearing helmets.

According to the statistics, last year, 328 died in road accidents of which 193 were riders while 39 were pillion riders.

“People try to protect the screen of their smart phone but not the head by wearing helmet while riding/pillion a two-wheeler,” said Chander.

The road accident study has also revealed that in more than half of fatal accidents, the culprit is two-wheeler rider.

“85 per cent of the self accident victims are two wheeler riders/pillion riders. The probability of death of a two-wheeler

user not wearing helmet is more than double of the one who is wearing a helmet,” said Chander.

Chander informed that after analysing black spots, the details were provided to road owning agency for improvement of these spots.

“We have been focusing on quality prosecution, which has direct bearing on reducing traffic accidents. These include drunken driving, over-speeding, talking on mobile, dangerous driving, jumping red light, driving without licence, minor driving etc. This year the quality prosecution has gone up by 50.58 per cent,” informed Chander.

According to Chander, “the efforts have started showing positive results with death due to fatal accidents going down from 143 to 112 (last six months) showing 21.6 per cent decline for the first time in several years.”

“We can sustain this decline, if other stakeholders such as transport department, PWD, education, NHAI, health, municipalities etc contribute to this cause wholeheartedly,” said Chander adding, “I am sure we can do better if other departments also cooperate.”