New Delhi: Even though the government is spending a significant amount to create awareness about road safety measures, the commuters are not paying much-needed attention to such initiatives of the Transport Ministry as the road accidents have continued to increase in the last four years starting from 2016.
According to the data provided by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, India has recorded total 18,61,608 road accidents in the last four years and 6,01,228 people died in such mishaps. Of the total accidents, 6,51,500 roads accidents are attributed to mishaps that happened involving two-wheelers in the country, it said.
In reply to a question asked by Congress MP Benny Behanan, who represents Chalakudy parliamentary seat in Kerala, about road accidents involving two-wheelers, Gadkari stated that total 1,92,154 people have been killed in road accidents involving two-wheelers in the last four years ranging from 2016 to 2019.
In 2016, 4,80,652 road accidents had happened and out of which 1,62,280 road accidents were reported involving two-wheelers, which accounts to 33.8 per cent of the total mishaps involving two-wheelers and total persons killed in such incidents are 44,366.
In 2017, 4,64,910 road accidents had happened out of which 1,57,723 accidents happened involving two-wheelers that account to 33.9 per cent of the total road mishaps involving two-wheelers and persons killed in such incidents are 44,092.
In 2018, out of the total 4,67,044 road accidents, 1,64,313 road mishaps had happened involving two-wheelers and 47,560 people had died in such incidents, while in 2019, out of the total 4,49,002 road accidents, 1,67,184 mishaps happened involving two-wheelers in which 56,136 people had died.
In reply to a question about the government's proposal to set up highway interceptor squads for national highways to check and prevent road accidents, the minister said that there is no such proposal as of now.