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Speeding, broken roads or strays? Haryana govt to study causes of accidents

Speeding, broken roads or strays? Haryana govt to study causes of accidents

Time of India2 days ago

Gurgaon: As the number of people dying in road accidents in the state remains uncomfortably high, Haryana govt has mandated a scientific study to identify accidents' root causes.
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The initiative aims at analysing each accident, considering factors such as road conditions, speeding, traffic management, stray animals and other potential contributors, to implement effective preventive measures.
The findings will be used to identify patterns and trends, which will inform the development of comprehensive safety measures.
In 2022, Haryana recorded 11,105 accidents and 5,596 deaths. In 2023, the figures stood at 10,438 accidents and 5,195 deaths, followed by 9,759 accidents and 4,828 deaths in 2024.
In 2025, up to May 25, the numbers further decreased to 6,770 accidents and 1,942 deaths.
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, Union transport minister Anil Vij said, "Our primary goal is to safeguard the lives of citizens. By understanding why road accidents are taking place, we can take informed actions to improve road safety across the state."
In addition to the study, the govt plans to launch awareness campaigns to educate the public about safe driving practices and the importance of adhering to traffic rules.
Earlier this month, a budget of Rs 74.5 crore was approved by Haryana fund management committee (FMC) on road safety for the current year to reduce road accident fatalities and enhance the emergency response system across the state. Moreover, as part of its commitment to ensuring safe travel for all, the state govt also adheres to the Haryana road safety policy (2016). According to the official, these efforts have helped in gradually reducing the number of fatalities in accidents.
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Zeroing in on vehicles transporting children to and from school, Vij said, "All school buses must undergo regular inspections, and attention should be paid to their condition. A meeting with school transport operators should be scheduled soon, where they must be given clear guidelines to ensure safe commute of children. Non-compliance should be met with challans and vehicle seizure."
Meanwhile, institutes of driving training and research (IDTR) will be established in each district of the state.
In Gurgaon, a plan was approved for setting up a regional driving training centre. Through these centres, the state aims to promote responsible driving behaviour. The city alone accounted for 1,026 road accidents last year, resulting in 428 fatalities. National highways accounted for 44% of these accidents, with motorcyclists being the most affected group, comprising 41% of the fatalities.
Currently, the state has four operational IDTRs - in Rohtak, Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), Karnal, and Kaithal. An IDTR has been constructed in Bhiwani as well, and it will be made operational soon. Consultants have been appointed for setting up these centres in Nuh and Faridabad.

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