27 April,2010 09:02 AM IST | | Alifiya Khan
Study by NGO shows drivers between 18 and 34 years of age involved in most accidents on city roads
Planning a drive through the four-arm junction on University Road around 7 pm with your 20-something son at the wheel? A perfect recipe for disaster, if a study by a local NGO is any indication.
Based on accident reports filed by the traffic police between June and January, the study by the NGO Janwani showed young drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 years caused the most number of accidents in the city.
Highways better off
The study that analysed accidents from multiple perspectives also showed that city roads are even more dangerous than highways, as 75 per cent of the accidents in the region are reported from within the city.
The analysis was done by the NGO along with students of Sadhana Centre for Management and Leadership Development. Janwani director Kishori Gadre said the data analysed has now prepared ground for an action plan for the traffic police.
"A few months ago, our NGO developed the accidental report system, using which the traffic police file an accident report. On analysing this data, we found most deaths occurred within city limits; mostly at four-arm junctions on certain roads. Also, deaths are higher in residential areas rather than commercial. Deaths are also higher in the evening," said Gadre.
The analysis also revealed women pedestrians were victims in three out of four city accidents, a majority of which were caused by men.
The NGO has also highlighted the need to develop a new system for recording accident data as almost all blame is placed on drivers today. "We found blame was laid merely on vehicle drivers. Accident reports don't mention absent of traffic police, no streetlights, or non-functioning traffic signals. We suggested the traffic police include these aspects in the reports," said Gadre.
Notorious roads
According to the study, a few areas are notorious for major accidents, among them University Road, Karve Road, Shankar Sheth Road, Kondhwa road and the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass.
