Drunk driving rises by 20%; 4 persons on average die on city roads every day

On the night of November 4, a Delhi Police constable, alongside a civilian, was crushed to death after a bus veered off track near the Tibetan Market. This marked another entry into the national capital’s long list of fatal accidents, which has already crossed the thousand mark this year.

Delhi has seen a staggering toll of 1,200 fatal road accidents up to October 31 this year, averaging four deaths daily, according to data accessed by Patriot.

This marks a troubling increase, with the total number of road fatalities nearing the 1,257 deaths recorded across the entire year of 2023, as outlined in the Delhi Police’s Road Crash Fatalities Report, 2023.

A senior police official highlighted that these accidents mostly happen during nighttime, when traffic is low. “It is not a matter of what festival is happening across Delhi. It is more important to note why these deaths are happening seemingly on a daily basis. Most of these accidents happen on regular working days, without any festivities as such,” he said.

Also read: Crackdown on old vehicles: Over 5,000 automobiles seized to curb pollution

The report identified pedestrians as the most vulnerable road users, while two-wheelers constituted the next most vulnerable category, comprising 43% and 38% of the total fatalities, respectively, in 2023.

The Delhi Traffic Police department mostly attributes the number of such accidents to overspeeding, while other factors include drunk driving and general negligence of traffic rules. “We have tried to make people understand that the motive should be to drive safely and to reach their destination without endangering others. We have conducted multiple awareness drives as well to help them realise. However, most of it falls on deaf ears. If a person does not want to be educated, then nobody can force him to,” said Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Kime Kaming.

He further highlighted that, most of the time, it’s the motorists who fall victim to these accidents. “Most fatal accidents involving motorcyclists have happened because they were not wearing helmets. However, larger vehicles are as much to blame. They keep overspeeding or drinking and driving without caring about the speed breakers. Pedestrians are at risk as well because of such reckless driving. On the other hand, deaths inside cars have mostly happened due to the deceased not wearing seatbelts,” he said.

According to him, the most accident-prone road at present is the Narela-Karnal road.

Drunk driving incidents in Delhi have spiked sharply, with the Delhi Traffic Police recording 20,021 violations up to October 31 this year. This marks a significant rise from previous years, with only 2,500 cases recorded in 2022 and 16,000 in 2023.

The police recorded a 20% increase this year from 2023, with a significant spike of over 84% in 2023 compared to 2022.

It has also been noted by the police that most of these incidents have occurred in the Rajouri Garden traffic circle, where many of the national capital’s youth visit on weekends.

According to the 2023 crash report, the traffic police identified 10 black spots, including ISBT Kashmere Gate, Mukarba Chowk, Libaspur bus stand, Kashmere Gate Chowk, Burari Chowk, Britannia Chowk, Bhalswa Chowk, Wazirpur Depot, Mori Gate, and Gandhi Vihar bus stand.

Apart from these, ten other roads were identified that recorded 10 or more deaths in 2023, such as NH-8, Kanjhawala Road, NH-24, Patel Road, and Pankha Road, among others, the report mentioned.

Fatal negligence

During the incident on November 4, it was found that the case was one of negligence. The deceased cop, identified as Victor, was posted at the Civil Lines police station and was on night patrol duty. Following the incident, the deceased was rushed to Parmanand Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Also read: Stuck in second gear: Only one of city’s 5 major railway stations is disabled-friendly

Further investigations are underway, but the bus driver, Vinod Kumar, who has been driving Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses since 2010, was taken into custody. The accident occurred when the bus veered off route and rammed into a unipole, causing an advertising billboard to fall to the ground. The bus then proceeded to hit the two deceased individuals and crashed into a divider.