Road accidents drop by 22% on NY eve and Jan 1 in Assam

Guwahati: Assam recorded a 22% drop in road accidents on New Year’s eve and January 1, and a 66% drop in fatalities because of heightened police checking and patrolling for the last few days.
According to the data provided by police, the state has been witnessing a decline in the number of mishaps and deaths in road accidents on December 31 and January 1 for two consecutive years. However, there was an increase of 129% in such cases in the run-up to the New Year in 2020.
Talking to media persons on Sunday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswas Sarma said, “My government’s target is to reduce road accidents and fatalities, particularly on the last day of the year and the first day of the next. We have been working towards achieving this since the time the present government was formed in May 2021. Such efforts will continue.”
He added that 15 deaths in road accidents were recorded during the said days in 2022, while at least 50 such deaths were reported in the previous years. “The figure has significantly come down to just five this year. Any demise is painful. But the figure of deaths in road accidents during this year has shown that we can prevent such tragedies.”
Meanwhile, Guwahati police commissioner Diganta Borah on Monday thanked the people of the city for their cooperation in the peaceful celebrations of the New Year. He said a total of 58 road accidents took place in the capital city from Saturday till Monday morning with no fatalities.
“It is true that 58 road accidents occurred in the city. At the same time, we must remember a minor head-on collision between two vehicles is also reported as an accident. Fatalities and injuries in accidents are the worrisome factors. Guwahati has not reported a single death in a road accident during the New Year celebration this year, which is a positive note to begin the year on,” he added.