Road accidents are on the rise on Bengaluru streets; overspeeding, lack of awareness and infrastructure gaps blamed

An analysis of accidents on the city roads over the past three years — 2020, 2021, and 2022 — shows that the number of accidents in 2022 has risen by 120, compared to 2020, even as the number of fatalities has shot up by 115 during the same period. The number of pedestrians killed has also shot up from 164 in 2020 to 247 in 2022.

An analysis of accidents on the city roads over the past three years — 2020, 2021, and 2022 — shows that the number of accidents in 2022 has risen by 120, compared to 2020, even as the number of fatalities has shot up by 115 during the same period. The number of pedestrians killed has also shot up from 164 in 2020 to 247 in 2022.

This is despite a nearly 25% increase in the enforcement of traffic norms in the city — the number of cases booked for the first time crossed a crore in 2022.

Bengaluru Traffic Police attributed the rise in the number of accidents and fatalities to a low base effect in 2020 and 2021, when during most parts of the year the city was under multiple lockdowns due to the pandemic.

M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said the report helps them glean insights on the measures to be taken to make the streets safer. “For instance, the analysis shows that nearly 45% of the deceased have only high school level education. This indicates that they need more awareness about rules in a simpler format, which we are now working on,” he said.

The analysis also shows men are more likely to be victims of accidents than women. “On average, in the last three years, 600 males and 94 females became accident victims. Men in the 21 to 40 age group and women in the 31 to 50 age group were the majority of the victims,” the analysis said. This indicates men, especially in the age group of 21 - 40 years, are likely to drive rashly and overspeed, another area of focus for BTP.

The data show that on average, 163 people are killed in self-accidents every year, which can be easily avoided. Among them on average, 161 were men and only 3 were women. “Self-accidents can easily be averted by ensuring that the vehicle is maintained in good condition and by following defensive driving techniques, wearing a safety seat belt and protective headgear as the case may be, and by considerably reducing the speed of the vehicle during rainy and stormy weather,” the report said.

However, traffic expert Prof. M.N. Srihari said the accident analysis report did not dwell on the larger picture as to why accidents are on the rise on the city’s streets. He said as the vehicle population was increasing by manifolds, the road infrastructure available in the city was limited and even what was available was being unscientifically used.