The year has unarguably cast a dark shadow over Goa as this tiny State reels under a surge of unfortunate accidents and fatalities. The very first month of 2023 saw around 180 accidents and nearly 22 deaths, and the distressing series of events continue to date with road safety taking a severe beating.
Unfortunately, the 2022 statistics also mirrored this sombre reality when around 271 precious lives were lost to accidents on different roads.
In this report, The Goan tries to put forth the distressing figures of the majority of accidents that occurred during specific time slots and areas.
The data suggest that the peak hours of 6 pm to 9 pm are the most perilous for commuters, followed closely by 12 noon to 6 pm and midnight to 3 am.
Rural v/s Urban
A significant number of accidents, regardless of the time, have been transpiring within the rural parts of Goa as astonishingly, the accident rate surpasses that of urban regions by more than double. Statistics show that while a total of 919 accidents occurred in urban areas, a whopping 2,092 cases were reported in rural areas.
Moreover, the toll of lives lost in these rural accidents reached an alarming threefold compared to their urban counterparts. In urban areas where 77 persons were killed in accidents, a total of 194 lost their lives in rural areas.
While a maximum of 45 and 44 deaths occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, and 9 pm to midnight, respectively in rural areas; the fatalities were higher at midnight to 3 am in urban areas followed by 12 pm to 6 pm.
These findings are not emphasizing unpredictable dangers for commuters during these hours but also a grim reality of how accidents strike harder outside urban areas.
The alarming fact that most of these mishaps happened on straight roads and during sunny weather further indicated the negligence of drivers. Traffic officials claim that this only implies that many drivers are either overconfident in their driving skills, taking their eyes off the road or driving drunk during late hours, leading to unfortunate accidents.
Highway to disaster
Furthermore, it has become evident that the expansive roads, particularly the national highways, have transformed into fertile ground for reckless driving, leading to a surge in fatalities and putting the lives of commuters at risk.
Details indicate that as many as 1,259 accidents occurred on NH of which a massive 118 were fatal, 74 grievous, 150 minor and fortunately, 917 were non-injured accidents. The total fatal accidents sadly claimed the lives of 127 persons whereas 92 persons were grievously injured and 235 sustained minor injuries.
The fatality stats are followed by accidents on “other roads” wherein 93 fatal accidents and 102 grievous cases were reported during the last calendar year while 293 were minor. These accidents led to the death of 99 persons and another 113 were grievously injured while 445 were fortunate to survive with minor injuries.
The State Highways accounted for a total of 446 accidents of which 42 were fatal in which 45 persons lost their lives. A total of 63 persons were grievously injured in 20 accidents along this stretch.
No mishaps on potholed roads?
What’s further ironic is that in Goa, where several roads are riddled with potholes, no accidents occurred due to this factor last year, at least as per the government records.
The root cause of this disturbing trend, the traffic officer reiterated, is the negligence of drivers and inadequate defiance of road safety measures.
The casualties resulting from these accidents are equally alarming, with two-wheelers being the most affected, followed by car drivers/occupants.
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