State saw negligible dip in road accident deaths in 2024

Panaji: Road accidents continued to haunt the state in 2024. Statistics from the traffic cell of the Goa Police revealed that there was only a 0.03% reduction in fatal accidents in 2024 when compared to 2023.

A total of 271 fatal accidents were reported in 2024 in which 286 people died, while 290 people lost their lives in the 272 accidents that were reported in 2023. Overall 2,682 accidents were reported in the state last year, identical to 2023’s figures.

Police said that the maximum accidents in 2024 were reported at Verna (222), Panaji (213), Porvorim (188), Old Goa (179) and Maina-Curtorim (169).

The highest number of fatalities were registered at Bicholim (22), Ponda (20), Agasaim (19), and Old Goa and Verna (18). Saligao and Sanguem (46.7%), Valpoi (33.3%), Mardol (30%), Colvale (21.8%), and Margao (23.4%) were the jurisdictions that reported the highest percentage increase in accidents last year.

Maximum bus accidents were registered in Panaji (23), Old Goa (13), Porvorim and Verna (12), and Mardol (9), while Ponda (30), Porvorim (28), Maina-Curtorim and Verna (19), and Cuncolim (18) reported the highest incidence of truck accidents.

The state capital also reported the highest number of car accidents last year, with 288 cases, followed by Porvorim (184), Verna (165), Old Goa (126), and Agasaim (103), while Verna saw a maximum of 129 two-wheeler accidents, followed by Maina-Curtorim with 124, Panaji with 122, Old Goa with 117, and Bicholim with 83.

Keen on reducing fatalities due to road accidents, director general of police (DGP) Alok Kumar said that the Goa Police has set a target to bring about a 20% drop in such deaths in 2025.

Kumar recently held a meeting with the traffic cell’s superintendent of police and traffic police inspectors to chalk out a detailed strategy to reduce road accidents and resultant fatalities.