Margao: Road fatalities in South Goa fell by 5.2% in the first nine months of the year, up to September 30, compared with the corresponding period last year, while grievous injuries in road accidents rose by 33%, according to traffic police statistics.
Sharing statistics, South Goa SP Rajendra Prabhudesai said there had been a 9.8% increase in road accidents compared with the same period last year, with 1,005 serious and minor accidents recorded.
“There has been zero increase in fatal accidents, last year it was 92 cases and is the same this year,” he said.
The number of fatalities fell from 96 last year to 91 this year. Grievous injuries increased from 130 last year to 173 this year.
He said most grievous injury cases tend to lead to fatalities because there is a high speed that is involved and many remain in critical condition. “This time even with more grievous injuries, the fatalities have decreased so we think that it is because of strong enforcement of overspeeding,” he said, adding that there had
been over 18,000 cases of overspeeding during the period. Prabhudesai said overspeeding was the major cause of fatalities.
The nine traffic cells comprising the South Goa jurisdiction also registered around 1,300 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol, compared with 1,700 last year. Cases of driving without a helmet have also been another major concern. “Riding without helmet leads to fatalities and this year there has been an increase of 11,000 helmetless cases from last year,” Prabhudesai said.
He said people needed to realise that wearing a helmet helps reduce fatalities, with 70 per cent of fatalities involving two-wheeler riders, most of them without helmets. Prabhudesai said with the tourist season set to begin in the state, the focus of the traffic cells will be on alcohol screening, checking for speed and helmets.
When asked about the implementation and impact of the AI camera system on South Goa’s roads, he said, “With AI cameras, the challan is sent directly to the owner of the vehicle, but with patrolling and challaning on the road the other vehicles on the road are also made aware of the need to keep traffic rules in mind.”
He said that in areas where AI cameras had been installed, speed had come under control and more areas might be brought under surveillance.
He was speaking after the conclusion of the Road Safety Week, which was observed from September 28 to October 4.
