22 killed in road accidents in January

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad traffic police recently released data for the number of fatal road accidents reported in January.

A total of 22 accidental deaths have been reported in Hyderabad city. Vehicles of at least five accused are yet to be unidentified.

Of the 22 mishaps, 21 were due to over-speeding while one occurred when a dog strayed on to the road causing the vehicle to skid.

An in-depth analysis shows that six drivers crossed the speed limits and dashed against hard objects, resulting in their deaths; three died due to skidding accidentally because of over-speeding. In the remaining 13 cases, the drivers were both negligent and beyond speed limits.

A total of 13 motor-cycle riders and eight pedestrians were killed in road accidents. 12 riders, including 3 pillion riders, were not wearing helmets.

Three RTC buses, a lorry, three medium goods vehicles, one motorcycle and five unidentified vehicles were involved in road accidents. Four fatal accidents occurred due to drunken driving. Two accused/deceased were driving without a license.

A most distinct commonality in a majority of the accidents this year is over-speeding, which killed 21 motorists.

Motorcyclists and pedestrians are vulnerable group and non-compliance to wearing helmets is the main reason for the fatalities. The city traffic police have been urging two-wheeler riders, including pillion riders, to wear a standard helmet, which is mandatory under Sec 129 of MV act-1998.

The police wing will shortly undertake awareness campaigns in order to drive home the importance of road safety.