Gurgaon: Gurgaon Traffic Police has launched an operation to identify potholed roads across the city to curb accidents. Potholes and potholes not only cause accidents, but can also lead to slow traffic during peak hours, causing congestion, police said.
Traffic police teams were also directed to identify the black spots where the most accidents were reported in the past year.
Gurugram has reported 915 accidents in 2022 resulting in 360 fatalities. According to police data, 409 people died in traffic accidents in 2021, compared to 375 in 2020.
The Traffic Police launched the Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) last April with the aim of highlighting roadworks deficiencies, identifying black spots and reducing accidents on urban roads.
According to IRAD, speeding caused 322 accidents in Gurgaon last year, resulting in 120 fatalities.
Police Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Virender Singh Sangwan said they had deployed teams and traffic enforcement officers to collect data on unsafe road sections with the most potholes.
“We have been writing to municipal bodies to fix roads and fill potholes as soon as possible to ensure residents have a smooth commute. We have discussed this issue in all our road safety meetings and have now decided to collate data on potholed roads,” DCP Sangwan said. Say.
Road deaths will increase if potholes are not fixed in time, the DCP says. “Our aim is to reduce accidents by 2023 and for that we need pothole-free roads and proper lighting arrangements,” he said.
Police said pedestrians and two-wheelers were the most vulnerable road users, with many of them affected due to poor road quality and potholes.
Major road sections identified by police as requiring the attention of municipal bodies include Sector 10, Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road, Sector 66, Sector 57, Sector 51, Palam Vihar, Shankar Chowk, MG Road, Sidhrawali, Bajghera, Manesar and Many internal sector roads. About 38 per cent of crashes were due to potholes on these stretches of road, police said.
DCP Sangwan said a WhatsApp group had been created in which the location of potholes ranging from 4 square feet to 25 square feet was reported.
Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that to improve the commuting experience and ensure the safety of road users, especially pedestrians, the municipal body will develop model roads across the city and repair all black spots. “The focus will also be on roadworks and other safety measures. All agencies must ensure roads are pothole-free to ensure safe driving through the city,” he said.
Sarika Panda Bhatt, a road safety expert and co-founder of the Raahgiri Foundation, said there were also potholes on the highway. “They are a major concern when it comes to road safety. Accidents have a lot to do with potholed roads. In many cases minor accidents can have serious consequences because of potholes. Internal injuries can be serious and can last a lifetime,” she says.
