You have now entered the riskiest month

On Mumbai's sticky streets, accidents happen. They happen more frequently in the month of April. According to an internal report of the city's traffic department, along with June and October, the rate of road mishaps is the highest in April.

The reasons are quite elementary. "In the month of April, summer vacations begin for many schools and colleges. This is the time when people take their vehicles out for long drives and tend to speed," explained a senior traffic official on condition of anonymity.

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Flavour of the month?

According to statistics there have been 265 cases of fatal accidents in the current month alone between 2007 and 2011. Similar is the case for October when traffic officials claim that the number of vehicles on the roads and corresponding accidents tend to rise because of the festive season. Since 2007, 266 fatal accidents have been reported by Mumbai traffic police in that particular month. Sources in regional transport office (RTO) said they too increase their checks during October when motorists tend to speed as the climate is pleasant.

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Slippery slope: Rains and wet roads are major causes of accidents in June, another dangerous month. File pic

In the dark: It is widely acknowledged that accidents tend to occur a lot at night, especially between 11 pm and 6 am. 2007-11 figures show 807 fatal road mishaps happened at night. File pic

As for June, officials feel rains and wet roads are the major causes of accidents. 248 such fatal cases were reported between 2007 and 2011. "If the wheels of a vehicle don't have proper grip, then they will skid during monsoons. Oil spills and grease on roads adds to the problems for motorists, especially two-wheeler riders," said a transport expert.u00a0

Done and dusted: A fire brigade official pours dust on a spot affected by an oil spill to avoid accidents like the one on the right. file pics

Day or night
Time of day too remains a significant factor. It is widely acknowledged that accidents tend to occur a lot at night, especially between 11 pm and 6 am. 2007-11 figures show 807 fatal road mishaps happened at night-time.u00a0Mornings aren't reliable either. Between 6 am and 11 am, 2,169 cases of fatal accidents were reported on city roads in 2007-11. This year, till the end of February, 58 fatal accidents have occurred during morning hours, while 17 such mishaps have occurred at night.

265
The number of cases of fatal accidents that have been reported by Mumbai traffic police in the month of April in 2007-11