By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, July 19: The data provided by the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division showed that 8,935 accidents were recorded in the first 11 months (until June 14) of the Fiscal Year 2020/21 in the Kathmandu Valley. In the accidents, 149 died, 214 were severely injured and 6,647 sustained normal injuries.
The data showed a decline in road accidents when compared to the previous fiscal year, but the authorities attribute the decline to the restriction order imposed in the wake of pandemic. Altogether 10,038 road accidents were recorded in 2019/20 with 153 deaths and 6,920 injuries.
“The number of accidents might have decreased in the last fiscal year because fewer vehicles operated during the months of restriction order. But despite a few vehicles on road, the accidents didn’t decrease as expected,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjib Sharma Das.
SP Das, who is also the spokesperson for Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD), added that the accidents didn’t decrease as expected because of continued negligence on the part of the drivers.
During the two months’ restriction order from April 29, a total 932 accidents were recorded in the Valley in which 22 individuals lost their lives.
MTPD said that the drivers’ negligence was the major reason behind most of the road accidents.
Among the 8,935 accidents in 2020/21, 7,425 were due to drivers’ negligence, 729 due to over-speeding, 643 due to drink and drive, and 66 due to overtaking.
Officers informed that drivers’ negligence include texting, calling, eating, drinking, sightseeing, pet and passenger distraction, excessive lane changing and failing to notice signal properly, among others.
“While drivers’ negligence includes various aspects, overspeeding, drink and drive, and overtaking are the carelessness on the part of drivers,” said SP Das.
In 2020/21, there were 16,031 vehicles involved in the accidents across the Valley among which 7,503 were motorcycles and scooters; 5,429 were cars, vans and jeeps; 1,538 were trucks, tippers and JCBs; and 1,139 were buses, among others.
With two-wheelers mostly involved in the accidents, the death cases are also high among them. Among the 149 deaths in 2020/21, 65 were either drivers or pillion riders of a two-wheeler and 46 were pedestrians.
Regarding the vehicles involved in deaths during road accidents, 57 were two-wheelers, 21 trucks, 15 tippers, 16 jeeps and 11 buses.
“The two-wheelers in the Valley are found driven recklessly resulting in an increase in road accidents. The Valley has proper road infrastructures compared to other parts of the country but it is not enough when compared to reckless driving,” SP Das told The Rising Nepal.
During 2019/20, the Kathmandu Valley recorded more than half of the road accidents across the country.
The traffic police continuously keep surveillance across the Valley roads and fine traffic rule violators regularly. “The ones fined for lane discipline and drink and drive are provided with awareness class as well but it does not seem to have been effective in changing the perspective of public to drive safely,” SP Das added.
Nevertheless, the MTPD officers informed that they would continue coordinating with concerned stakeholders and public to increase awareness on traffic rule and proper driving to mitigate road accidents.