Mumbai Witness 35% Drop In Road Crash Deaths In 9 Months

Till September 30, 2023, 519 accidents took place in Maharashtra’s coastal district Raigad. In these accidents, 218 people were killed, 420 people were seriously wounded, and 191 suffered minor injuries, according to data released by the traffic department. On the other hand, there is a 35% decrease in accidental fatalities in Mumbai.

Mumbai-Goa Highway also witnessed 60 deaths in 145 accidents, and 157 people were injured stated the data.

In 53 accidents on the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, which passes through the district, 53 were injured and 24 died. On the Mumbai-Pune Expressway 18 were killed and 10 were seriously injured in 59 accidents this year.

The statement further stated that 54 people lost their lives in 103 incidents on state roadways that went through the Raigad area.

As per reports, 176 road crash-related deaths were recorded in the city between January and September, compared to 272 over the same period the previous year. There is a 35% decrease in fatalities.

The decrease has been ascribed by traffic police to tighter enforcement and better infrastructure surrounding "black spots", or areas that are prone to accidents. However, experts advised that since high-speed routes like the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link and Mumbai Coastal Road will soon be accessible to automobiles, the government should begin making plans for preventing accidents on them.

The number of road traffic deaths in the city has been declining annually since 2017, with the exception of 2021, when a jump in numbers occurred that had previously decreased as a result of limitations imposed in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 epidemic. There were 490 recorded deaths in 2017, and the number dropped to 364 in 2022. However, late-night or early-morning drunk driving and speeding continue to be major contributing factors to fatalities.

"In order to prevent nighttime speeding, we intend to install more speed cameras on the Eastern and Western Express Highways. Drunk driving and driving in the wrong direction are being targeted for regular crackdowns," said Pravin Padwal, joint commissioner of police, traffic. Senior traffic police officers also mentioned that, following each fatality, a crash analysis team stationed at traffic headquarters visits the scene of the accident and conducts a comprehensive investigation.