More pedestrians killed in road accidents in 2015

Visakhapatnam: The traffic accidents this year claimed 348 lives and out of which 133 were pedestrians followed by 115 two-wheeler riders, according to statistics provided by the traffic department of the city police.

Similarly, 19 pillion riders, 18 passengers, eight persons travelling in auto rickshaws perished this year. Four-wheelers claimed eight lives and lorries seven. The least accident-causing mode of transport remained commercial vans and RTC buses which took lives of one each. Around 1,299 persons sustained injuries this year caused by various vehicles.

The death toll remained a little higher compared to last year, which registered 339 deaths. Traffic police intensified preventive measures coming down heavily on drunken driving and riding two-wheelers without helmets.

“Many lives could have been saved had people adhered to the traffic rules,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police K Mahendra Patrudu.

Talking to this correspondent, he said drive against drunken driving was stepped up and the penalties amounted to Rs 12.7 crore this year. Similarly, an amount of Rs 8 crore was imposed on petty cases, which include seat belt, triple riding, over speed, non-use of helmet, minor driving, use of cell phone and smoking while driving.

Around 1.19 lakh cases were booked for non-use of helmets, 19,202 for not wearing seat belts and 14,658 cases for over speed.

“The police are doing their best but the road users must change their attitude,” the ADCP said.

He also suggested that the motorists should move to alternative roads to ease the traffic on the National Highway No 16, which was increasingly witnessing high density movement of vehicles during the peak hour and where a maximum number of accidents took place.

Around 78-km-long stretch of national highway passes through the heart of the city with intersections at about eight places, he said.

The vehicular movement was heavy between Hanumanthwaka and Maddilapalem Junction, Satyam Junction, Thatichetlapalem and NAD Kotha Road. The section between Ednada Junciton to Maddilapalem touches a peak in the morning and evening hours as most of the educational institutions are located in Madhuravada and its surroundings.

KMP Patnaik