Northeast roads safer than elsewhere: Survey

GUWAHATI: Roads in the northeast are less prone to fatal accidents than other parts of the country, according to Road Accidents in India, 2018 report published by ministry of road transport and highways.
All NE states are in the bottom 18 in the list of states and Union Territories with a lower number of accident-related deaths as well as the number of total accidents.
According to the report, 2,966 people were killed in road accidents in Assam, the 18th highest among all 36 states and Union Territories. Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura were ranked between 25 and 33rd positions (see box).
Lakshadweep, which had just one fatal accident in 2018, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (18) and Daman and Diu (34) have the lowest number of road accident deaths across the country during the period of the survey.
Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have performed better in reducing the number of deaths when compared to the casualty figures of 2017, while Meghalaya has made no change but Assam, Tripura and Sikkim have all seen an increase in the number of fatalities in 2018 over the previous year.
In terms of the total number of all types of accidents in 2018, Assam recorded 8,248 mishaps, making it the state with 16th highest in the number of accidents in the country. Tamil Nadu, which tops the list, recorded 63,920 accidents during the year.
Among the 36 states and Union Territories (in 2018), Lakshadweep recorded just three accidents, which was the lowest count, followed by Mizoram at 35th with 53 accidents. Sikkim is ranked 32, and Arunachal Pradesh is at 30, while Manipur is at 25, Tripura at 26, Nagaland at 27, and Meghalaya at 28.
Among the states of the region, Assam also recorded the highest number of grievously injured persons at 2,782, followed by 219 in Tripura, 166 in Manipur, 90 in Nagaland, 74 in Arunachal Pradesh, 61 in Sikkim, 23 in Meghalaya and 16 in Mizoram.
Majority of the accidents, fatal and otherwise, have taken place on national highways, with the involvement of four-wheelers, the report said.
In Meghalaya alone, a majority of accidents occurred due to drunk driving, while in the other NE states, the primary cause has been over speeding.
Uttar Pradesh is at the top in terms of accident-related deaths across states and Union Territories in 2018, and registered an increase in the figure over 2017.