7% more road accident deaths in 2024 than 2023: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Deaths in road accident in Odisha increased by 7% in 2024 compared to 2023, transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena informed the assembly on Thursday. The data presented showed fatalities rose by 4.9% in 2023 (5,739 deaths) compared to 2022 (5,467 deaths). In response to BJD MLA (Salipur) Prasanta Behera's query, Jena's written statement indicated that fatalities increased to 6,142 in 2024 from 5,739 in 2023.The minister's report showed that eight districts — Bargarh, Boudh, Deogarh, Ganjam, Kendrapada, Keonjhar, Khurda, and Nuapada — which saw increased deaths in 2023, recorded fewer fatalities in 2024. Malkangiri district maintained the same figures in 2023 and 2024, while 21 other districts showed increased casualties.During the road safety month from Jan 1 to 31 this year, 505 people lost their lives in 848 road accidents, according to the minister. The govt allocated Rs 1.89 crore for the road safety month activities, he said. The minister outlined various govt initiatives to reduce accidents, including enhanced traffic enforcement and identification of accident-prone areas. The Rakshak initiative trained 13,000 people in first aid for accident victims, while 11,000 NCC volunteers received training under the Junior Rakshak programme."Intelligent enforcement management system (IEMS) is being expanded to different routes," Jena said. According to sources in the transport department, a 30-day campaign promoting responsible road usage across the state under the ‘zero accident day' (ZAD) initiative will soon be launched in the state. Transport secretary Usha Padhee on Wednesday conducted a meeting to plan the ZAD campaign, highlighting the importance of public participation and coordinated action.The state govt recently appointed IIT Madras as its technical consultant for road safety matters. IIT Madras suggested creating a specialised task force to support police in conducting scientific accident investigations and proposing solutions. "Scientific analysis of accident causes is essential for developing solutions. The proposed unit will assess major accident-prone locations, evaluate road engineering, and work with road maintenance agencies to rectify faulty designs. Road accidents can be controlled through engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency measures," a transport official said.IIT Madras intends to conduct workshops for police officers on vehicle crash investigation techniques, using the root cause analysis matrix (RCAM) framework.