Gandhinagar, Gujarat: The state of Gujarat has witnessed a remarkable decline of 44% in road accidents over the past decade, despite a surge in the number of vehicles on the roads, according to a statement made by State Minister of Transport, Harsh Sanghavi, on Wednesday.
Addressing a gathering at the Gujarat Road Safety Authority meeting in Gandhinagar, Minister Sanghavi attributed this significant reduction in accidents to the diligent efforts of the Gujarat Road Safety Authority in minimizing the time taken to transport accident victims to nearby hospitals.
During the meeting, Minister Sanghavi highlighted that even though the number of vehicles has increased since 2012, Gujarat has successfully recorded a 44% decline in road accidents between 2012 and 2022, as per an official release.
This achievement can be credited to the joint endeavors of the state government and the Gujarat Road Safety Authority, employing the 5E strategy encompassing engineering, enforcement, emergency response, education and awareness, and effective coordination, the minister emphasized.
In a bid to further enhance road safety measures, Minister Sanghavi revealed plans to introduce lessons on various aspects of road safety in the standard 6 to 12 curriculum. Additionally, the state government intends to leverage the BISAG satellite communication service to raise awareness among school students about the importance of road safety.
Furthermore, Minister Sanghavi highlighted the collaborative efforts undertaken by the Authority in conjunction with other stakeholders such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state Road and Building Department to address accident-prone areas along the road networks, commonly referred to as ‘black spots’.
Analyzing the accident data for 2022, it was revealed that rear-end and side collisions, as well as hit-and-run cases, accounted for 56% of all reported accidents. Shockingly, the age group most affected by fatalities resulting from road accidents was between 18 and 45 years, comprising 73% of the total casualties. Moreover, motorcycle riders, cyclists, and pedestrians accounted for 67% of the overall deceased victims.
Minister Sanghavi further instructed officials to prioritize the development of the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar, Bharuch-Surat, and Ahmedabad-Rajkot highways, transforming them into exemplar roads with comprehensive road safety measures, as stated in the release.
With the continuous dedication and collaborative approach of various stakeholders, Gujarat has made commendable progress in enhancing road safety and reducing the occurrence of accidents. The state remains committed to implementing further measures to ensure the well-being and safety of its citizens on the roads.
