Ghaziabad Roads Turn Deadly: 1 Death Daily Amidst Rising Accidents

Ghaziabad recorded a grim statistic of one road death each day during the initial five months of this year. Fatality rates in traffic accidents have surged by 12% compared to the same period last year.

Between January and May, the city experienced 461 accidents, resulting in 186 fatalities and injuring 342 individuals. This contrasts with 459 crashes in the prior year, which caused 165 deaths and 346 injuries.

Traffic authorities identified rash driving and speeding as the primary causes, responsible for over 30% and 15% of accidents, respectively. Illegal parking, particularly on the Delhi-Meerut and Eastern Peripheral Expressways, contributed to more than 30% of district-wide crashes.

Special traffic teams are now clearing illegally parked vehicles from expressways. Ten accidents on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway alone led to 10 deaths and nine injuries, with nearly half involving prohibited two- and three-wheelers. Strict fines are being imposed on violators.

Potholes were also implicated in two fatal incidents in May. Investigations into these accidents revealed drivers losing control after hitting road defects, leading to tragic outcomes.

Further analysis of incidents highlighted other contributing factors such as riding without helmets and collisions with minibuses and private buses, underscoring a pervasive road safety crisis.