SHIMLA: As many as 11,241 people have been killed and 53,123 others have been injured in 30,210 road accidents in Himachal Pradesh in the past 10 years.Till August 31 alone, the state has witnessed 691 deaths and 3,166 others getting injured in 2,061 road accidents. But despite accidents getting more and more frequent, the state government so far has failed to come out with a concrete plan to ensure safety of commuters.In peaceful Himachal Pradesh, the killer roads have left the commuters scared. Several dangerous roads including link roads are yet to be covered with crash barriers, making commuting a risky affair.In August last year, the Social Welfare Council of India (SWCI) had submitted a 15-point memorandum to governor Acharya Devvrat in Shimla on the issue of accidents, fragile road safety and public transport, but nothing concrete has come out so far.Many felt that lack of crash barriers along the vulnerable stretches of national and state highways besides link roads especially in the remote and rural areas is making travelling by road extremely dangerous.SWCI chairman Rajeshwar Singh Negi said road safety in Himachal Pradesh is a major cause of concern with around 3,000 accidents occurring every year, killing hundreds of people. He said road accidents account for the highest percentage of deaths by far from any calamity in the state.He said there is a need to identify accident-prone spots where crash barriers and speed breakers should be installed to protect lives.Former DGP I D Bhandari said to make the road journey safer, there is a dire need of installing crash barriers not only along national highways but also along the link roads in remote areas. He said all accident-prone spots across the state should be identified and secured.While the public works department has identified 516 black spots (accident-prone areas), GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute in its survey has identified 697 black spots. So far, a majority of these black spots have not been attended to.

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