UP Govt Forms Committee To Uncover Causes Of Fatal Road Accidents For Enhanced Safety

In an effort to uncover the underlying factors responsible for fatal road accidents, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched an initiative to probe such accidents in the state where three or more individuals lose their lives.

This decision comes after a high number of road accidents in Uttar Pradesh in 2022, with 41,746 incidents resulting in 22,595 fatalities and 28,541 injuries.

As per an official notification issued by principal secretary, transport, L Venkateshwarlu last week, a district-level committee comprising officials from traffic police, the transport department, the Public Works Department (PWD), road safety engineers, and subject matter experts will carry out detailed accident investigations under the Uttar Pradesh Road Crash Investigation Scheme, 2023.

An assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) will serves as the nodal officer for the district-level committee and will be responsible for implementing the scheme within the district.

Udit Narayan Pandey, the ARTO-enforcement of Gautam Budh Nagar, explained, "The initiative's primary focus is on improving road safety and taking corrective measures in the aftermath of accidents. Under the scheme, investigations are mandatory when a road accident results in three or more fatalities."

He further noted, "Previously, road accident cases were primarily handled by the police through the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), but these investigations often overlooked technical factors such as road conditions, traffic violations, and vehicle-related issues."

While carrying out accident investigations, the committee will review FIRs, medico-legal certificates, post-mortem reports in case of fatalities, and conduct interviews with injured victims. The police will conduct their own investigations and collaborate with committee members to compile a comprehensive report.

Further, the PWD will concentrate on aspects like road design, signage, potholes, traffic signals, and other elements that contributed to accidents. Meanwhile, traffic police and ARTO will scrutinize traffic violations committed by the vehicles involved in accidents.

As per the notification, the committee will submit a detailed report after concluding the accident investigations.

The report will encompass detailed information such as the accident's date, time, location, the nearest police station, first responders, ambulance arrival time, road specifications, GPS coordinates, accident severity, and more.

It will also provide a thorough account of the accident's causes, the number of vehicles involved, vehicle makes and models, vehicle conditions, pedestrian involvement, and the overall count of injuries and fatalities.

Further, the committee devise an action plan within three months, and subsequently, the government will take the necessary steps to address the issues highlighted in the report.

The government hopes that this approach will help formulate strategies to control road accidents and assist victims and their families in claiming insurance.