Road accidents dip in tri-commissionerates of Hyderabad

The traffic police attribute it to strict enforcement against violators and raising awareness of road safety

Hyderabad: Road accidents in the tri-Commissionerates of Hyderabad, Rachakonda, and Cyberabad dipped by around four per cent in 2022.

A total of 8,701 accidents were reported in 2021 while this year 8,407 accidents were recorded. Last year, about 1,717 people lost their lives in road accidents which dropped to 1,695 in 2022.

The traffic police attribute the decrease in road accidents to strict enforcement against violators and raising awareness of road safety.

“Our teams from the engineering section visit the spot where an accident has taken place and in coordination with the local police and other government agencies suggest and oversee rectification of road engineering, inadequate illumination, and other related issues. This practice has played a major role in the drop in accidents,” says Cyberabad Traffic DCP T Vijaya Kumar.

In all three Commissionerates, there are dedicated officials responsible for ensuring road safety and they work in coordination with other government agencies and the local traffic police to initiate road safety measures.

The road safety wings work under the supervision of senior officials of ACP or DCP rank and their main job is to ensure the safety of road users including pedestrians.

To control the rate of road accidents, the police laid special focus on two major parameters including drunk and rash driving.

Regular drunk driving checks are conducted on major roads in Rachakonda and the spots where checks are taken up are changed frequently to surprise the drivers.

“Focus is on the spots where a high number of drunken driving-related accidents are recorded. Whenever a person is caught we book a case and produce them before the court without any delay,” says Rachakonda Traffic DCP D Srinivas.

Apart from regulation on drunk and rash driving, the traffic police are taking up various awareness programmes, particularly among students.

“At the Traffic Training Institutes awareness classes are conducted for offenders as well as students on road safety. Rallies and street corner meetings are conducted regularly. Such initiatives are gradually inculcating traffic discipline among the community and due to it the traffic violations are coming down too,” said an official of Hyderabad traffic police.

Decrease on ORR

Road accidents on the Outer Ring Road stretch falling in Rachakonda and Cyberabad witnessed a decrease this year.

As against 231 accidents reported last year there were only 160 accidents on the ORR stretch. If one looks at Commissionerate wise there were 41 accidents in 2021 in Rachakonda and the number was the same in 2022.

However, Cyberabad witnessed a sharp fall with the number dipping from 190 in 2021 to 119 in 2022.

The police maintain that lot of remedial measures were taken on the ORR including patrolling by the traffic police, providing towing vehicles to ORR police teams, and ensuring proper lighting on the stretch among other measures.