'Path Suraksha Jan Andolan': Assam To Launch Statewide Road Safety Awareness Campaign From Nov 19

Assam recorded an alarming 6,001 road accidents between January and October, 2023, leading to 2,606 fatalities and 4,800 injuries.

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Guwahati: With an aim to reduce the alarming and rising road accidents and fatalities in Assam, the state transport department is going to organise a statewide awareness campaign “Path Suraksha Jan Andolan,” kickstarting from Sunday. The campaign is being initiated on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Assam recorded an alarming 6,001 road accidents between January and October, 2023, leading to 2,606 fatalities and 4,800 injuries. The top five districts of the state with the highest fatalities during this period were Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Goalpara, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Assam, said in a press release.

Notably, 40.89 per cent of the road accidents occurred between 3 pm and 9 pm, with 40 per cent of them taking place on the national highways. On the other hand, 76 per cent of the road accidents transpired in open spaces, residential zones and market areas. A disconcerting statistic revealed that in 2021, 78.88 per cent of the total fatalities occurred within the age group of 18 to 45 years, representing the most productive segment of the population, the release said.

In the same year, pedestrians and non-motorised vehicle users accounted for a significant 28 per cent of crash victims, underscoring the vulnerability of these road users. Moreover, a startling 60 per cent of the crashes involved two-wheelers and four-wheelers, emphasising the urgent need for targeted safety measures, it said.

Adding to the concern, heavy vehicles like buses and trucks contributed to eight per cent of the total crashes on the national highways. Over-speeding topped the list at 68 per cent, followed by driving on the wrong side (7.12%), drunken driving (9.14%), mobile phone use (3.60%), red light jumping (1.52%), and 10.84 per cent attributed to various other causes of these road accidents, the release added.

As a part of the awareness campaign, a bike rally will be held which will cover all the 35 districts and 126 Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) of the state besides the accident-prone areas. The rally will include awareness meetings with various stakeholders, government officials, students, drivers and the public to sensitise them on the necessity of road safety and instill a sense of responsibility among the citizens, it said. 

In an effort to cultivate a culture of road safety, adherence to traffic rules and responsible behaviour on the roads, the statewide awareness campaign is expected to symbolise the government's commitment to reducing road accidents and safeguarding lives, it added.

The release further said that the Assam transport department in collaboration with a non-profit organisation will also conduct a road safety audit of Kamrup Metropolitan and Kamrup districts as part of the “Zero Fatality District” programme. The audit, scheduled from November 20 to 25 this year, will comprehensively cover engineering, enforcement, education and emergency care.