ALMORA
: In the wake of several road accidents in
Uttarakhand
in the past one month, including the one at
Uttarkashi
which claimed the lives of 25 pilgrims and a bus conductor, police have released data revealing the number of road accident cases in six districts of the
Kumaon
region in the past five months.
According to the Kumaon regional police office data, the division recorded 313 road accidents within the last five months. As many as 193 people lost their lives in these accidents and 275 others sustained injuries. The data further reveals that overspeeding was the major cause behind 298 out of the 313 road accidents.
The report states that tourists coming from other states often underestimate road safety while driving on hilly roads. Police investigation has revealed that several tourist vehicles race at over 100 kilometre per hour on mountain roads. The report also points out that overworked drivers are cutting on their sleep time to make more rounds and increase their profit during tourist season. As a consequence, drivers often lose their alertness while driving, especially during nighttime. Also, some commercial vehicle drivers have been found making sharp turns on curvy roads.
Speaking on the accident data,
DIG Kumaon Nilesh Anand Bhare
told TOI, "The Kumaon region has several danger zones. We also have several roads where drivers are advised to not go beyond a certain speed. Despite warning signs, people drive callously. This leads to accidents. Meanwhile, we are trying to get all roads repaired to ensure the safety of commuters. Besides, police are chalking out a strategy to reduce accidents." Meanwhile, residents say that accidents become even more frequent during the monsoon when several roads are prone to landslides.
The police data comes a few days after five people, including a mother-son duo, died in a road accident in Bhimtal (Nainital). In a similar accident last week, three people died and six others sustained injuries in a road accident in Champawat.
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