Road accidents decline in first six months this year

KOCHI: Road accidents and accident deaths registered a decline in the city in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Road accidents registered a 16% decline while accident deaths declined by 19% from January to June 2014 compared to the same period last year. According to data provided by the traffic police, 1,041 road accidents were reported in the city in the first half of 2014 as against 1,206 in 2013.The city had witnessed 1,164 road accidents in 2012.
As per data available with the traffic police, 68 persons were killed in road accidents in the first six months this year as against 84 deaths the previous year. In 2012, 56 persons died in road accidents. Meanwhile, 19 persons who were killed in road accidents were pedestrians this year as against 27 persons in 2013 and 16 in 2012.
The number of persons who were injured in road accidents has also declined. It declined by 19% from 629 in 2013 to 509 in 2014. The same was 568 in 2012.
Meanwhile, the traffic police claimed that they have taken necessary steps to reduce road accidents in the city. "The whole city has been divided into 25 sectors and traffic police personnel have been posted in each sector to regulate traffic. Also, we are conducting regular checks for drunken driving. This has helped to reduce accidents," said P P Shams, assistant commissioner, traffic east. He added that additional traffic police personnel have been employed in junctions such as Palarivattom where accidents involving two-wheelers are high.
Accidents are mainly reported at Kalamassery, Palarivattom Junction, Vyttila, Kundannoor, Edappally and Chakkaraparambu stretch of the National Highway 47, Cheranelloor and Chambakkara.