Count this: 849 dead, over 1.3k injured in Uttarakhand road accidents this year

DEHRADUN: A tragic bus accident in Uttarkashi district that left 14 people dead and several injured has once again brought to fore the issue of unsafe roads in the state. In the first 10 months of 2018, 849 people have died in road accidents while 1,334 people have been left injured in Uttarakhand. Between January and October, a total of 1,191 road accidents were reported from across the hill state, according to data by the Uttarakhand police department.
In the corresponding period in the past two years, 770 and 801 people lost their lives in road accidents in 2017 and 2016 respectively. About 1,362 people in 2017 and 1,497 people in 2016 were injured in road accidents.
The number of deaths from accidents this year is expected to rise further as foggy conditions in the winter months will make it even more difficult to drive.
According to Ashok Kumar, additional director general of police (law and order), “Poor condition of roads, fitness of vehicles, overloading, speeding and drunk driving are among causes of fatal accidents in the state. Police have been conducting regular drives against overloading, speeding and drunk driving across the state, but improving road condition and checking vehicle fitness is the responsibility of other departments.”
In 2018, Udham Singh Nagar district recorded the highest number of casualties in road accidents at 184. Haridwar witnessed 163 deaths in road accidents while 108 people lost their lives in Dehradun. Among the hilly districts, the maximum fatalities were recorded in Tehri district where 84 people lost their lives in road accidents.
Questions have been raised on the fitness of the bus which plunged into a 200m deep gorge near Damta area on Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi district on Sunday. The driver, who survived the accident, has alleged that he lost control of the vehicle after the wobbly steering wheel broke and came off in his hands.
According to a senior transport official, “A commercial passenger vehicle up to nine years of age has to take a fitness certificate on annual basis from RTO while an old vehicle has to take the certificate on half-yearly basis.