Maharashtra: 34,114 road accidents witnessed in state in 2023

In 2023, Maharashtra reported a staggering 34,114 road accidents, resulting in 15,909 deaths and injuries to 20,860 people, according to statistics put out by the state transport department. While Maharashtra witnessed a 2.2 per cent increase in road accidents last year compared to 2022, Mumbai reported a notable drop of 23 per cent in road accidents.

Expressing concerns about the high number of road accidents, A V Shenoy, a senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum and Mumbai Vikas Samiti, said, "Maharashtra ranks third in the country for the highest number of road accidents. The victims predominantly fall in the age group of 25 to 45 years, highlighting a critical demographic affected by these incidents."

Data from the state transport department indicates that in 2022, Maharashtra recorded 33,383 road accidents. Major highways connecting Mumbai to Pune and Nagpur have witnessed the highest number of accidents, according to sources in the state transport department. Data from the Mumbai traffic police reveals a decrease in road accident deaths compared to the previous year. In 2022, there were 371 deaths in 1,895 road accidents, whereas in 2023, there were 283 deaths in 1,473 mishaps.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg and Mumbai-Pune Expressway reported the highest number of accidents in 2023. The former stretch, spanning Nagpur, Aurangabad, Pune and Thane, with Nagpur being the most accident-prone zone, reported 1,239 road accidents claiming 141 lives between December 2022 and 2023. The Nagpur stretch alone recorded 656 accidents, including 80 fatalities, between December 2022 and October 2023.

An official from the state transport department said, "Efforts to improve the situation on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway seem promising." In 2023, 153 accidents were reported on this expressway, down from 198 in 2022 and 200 in 2021. However, fatalities from accidents on expressways have shown a concerning trend, with 63 deaths in 2023, 92 in 2022 and 88 in 2021.

Causes of accidents

Shenoy highlighted road engineering as a major cause of the increasing number of accidents. He emphasised the need for thorough road planning and engineering to identify and address potential black spots and accident-prone areas. He also pointed out issues such as illegal hawkers encroaching on footpaths, illegal parking, inadequate signage and missing road markings contributing to accidents. Regarding driver behaviour, Shenoy mentioned overspeeding, wrong-side driving, lane violations, and lack of helmet usage among bikers as significant risk factors for accidents.

As a corrective measure, Shenoy proposed the establishment of a road safety commissioner similar to the railway safety commissioner. He emphasised the importance of conducting thorough investigations after each accident to identify the role of road construction in contributing to accidents and implementing measures to prevent future occurrences. Additionally, Shenoy suggested deploying traffic wardens, removing illegal hawkers, increasing CCTV surveillance and curbing illegal parking to address issues at accident-prone spots. Engineering solutions such as installing signboards, painting road markings, creating pedestrian walkways, constructing speed bumps and smoothing uneven road surfaces near flyovers were also recommended to enhance road safety.

153
No of mishaps recorded on Mumbai-Pune e-way in '23