NEW DELHI: Since January this year, there has been an increase in the number of accidents being reported every month compared with last year. According to Delhi Police data, 751 accidents were reported till June 30 this year against 715 accidents in the same period in 2017. The biggest killers were deemed to be speeding and driving under the influence, while pedestrians and two-wheeler riders were among the top victims.Around 41% of the accidents were hit-and-run cases that remained unsolved, with 18% of these involving trucks or heavy vehicles. Speeding cars caused 11% of the accidents. Speeding, disregard for traffic signals, lane indiscipline and sudden application of brakes were determined to be behind these accidents. Records show that almost 22% of the victims were killed while crossing the road. Of them, 12% were killed when the vehicle jumped the traffic signal.Private car drivers were not only the biggest killers, but also the most sufferers in accidents. Drivers in the age-group of 25-35 were behind one-third of the accidents and the reason for accidents in a fifth of the cases was speeding.With little or no prosecutions at night, rule violations increased between 8pm and 2am, obviously because the police presence on roads is thin in the period. Riding without helmets, riding three to a bike and speeding are common after dark in central and north Delhi . While rampant construction activities and faulty road design caused around a third of the accidents, violation of traffic rules were responsible for the rest.This year, the traffic police booked 50,691 drivers for jumping a traffic signal, but the police believe that more than double that number evaded prosecution. The traffic police’s plans to install gantry-mounted cameras could deter such violations, but they have been limited to trial use.The police study found that two-lane roads were the most dangerous because overtaking risked drivers to accidents. Till June this year, 63,169 drivers were booked on these stretches.In 10% of the collisions with trucks, the accidents involved two wheelers. While the entry of trucks into Delhi have reduced by almost 60% after the Eastern Peripheral Expressway was opened, vehicles carrying construction materials still rampantly violate traffic norms after10pm. The highest number of accidents in March-April occurred between 10pm and 1am.Of the city’s arteries, Ring Road was found to be the deadliest. Around 45% of all the accidents on this important route were due to the driver’s fault, mainly violating traffic rules. Speeding and dangerous driving accounted for around 46% of the accidents.

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