HYDERABAD: 5,000 may be a small number in a city of over 5 million. But the number means big for the families of accident victims in the city. With people rarely adhering to traffic rules, it’s pure luck that the figure of 5,000, for all its zeroes, has managed to remain a digit lesser. Though the total number of accidents so far this year sounds alarming, the police put it in perspective.
“The department has taken special drives to reduce the number of road accidents over the past few months. These include strict action against drunken driving, wrong lane driving, teenage driving and high speed driving among others,” says DCP (Traffic), GVG Ashok Kumar of the Hyderabad Traffic Police.
Segregating the statistics, the number of accidents corresponding to the month of October has come down from 2518 to 2212 under the Hyderabad Traffic Police over the past three years (‘09-’11), while the Cyberabad Traffic Police has recorded a jump in accidents from 2,767 to 3008 during the same period.
Cyberabad, though, has reasons to be happy, with the numbers over the past three months falling from 340 in August to 301 in October, indicating the success of recent special drives. The death hours for both the regions continue to lurk between 1800-2400 hrs; with atleast 30% of daily accidents reported during this period of the day.
Based on data provided by the Hyderabad and Cyberabad Traffic Police up to Oct 2011, here are the eight most accident prone areas in the city:
LB Nagar: At 249 accidents a year, LB Nagar which lies on the Vijayawada highway, tops the list of traffic routes needing careful navigation. Despite being located in the city suburbs, it registers atleast 54 deaths a year, among the highest in the city. R Chandrasekhar, DCP (Traffic), Cyberabad Traffic Police admitted that bad roads, multiple curves on the road, lack of dividers and 24-hour truck movement have lead to LB Nagar’s dubious distinction.
Hayathnagar: The suburbs strike again. With 57 deaths a year and 180 accidents in total, Hayathnagar is another horror stretch on the Vijayawada highway. The roads are chock- a- bloc with traffic throughout the day, and evenings see increased truck movement, especially after seven.
Vanasthalipuram: The final slot in the top three is V'puram, located on the NH9 Vijayawada route as well. Narrow roads coupled with a high frequency of large trucks and dusty surroundings means bikers and four wheelers have a tough time. The result: 160 accidents, 42 of which have resulted in deaths.
Banjara Hills: The smiling assassin among friendly neighbourhood roads in the city. The winding, low traffic roads of Banjara Hills appear perfect for late night drifters, party goers and the Schumachers of the city to test their fast-paced cars. And this deadly combination is the main culprit that leads to a number of accidents here, 137 to be precise.
“Banjara Hills Road No 1, 2 and 12 are heavily crowded during daytime, whereas a lot of residential roads here are less crowded. So speed could be a factor which causes accidents at any time of the day. To counter it we have set up seven checkpoints in this area. This will also act against anyone indulging in drunken driving,” says DCP Ashok Kumar.
Saifabad: At 135 accidents a year, Saifabad comes in a close fifth. Anybody who's been to the area will hold rash driving, scant respect for road rules and reluctant police patrol teams as responsible for a number of accidents here.
Rajendranagar: With 123 accidents a year, Rajendranagar, is another accident hotspot. Sandeep, a student at NIIT feels rash driving, lack of police control, minimal lighting, and the presence of dividers and medians with no reflectors to warn motorists, lead to accidents here.
KPHB: Roads with unequal widths, a number of potholes, and the presence of street vendors vying for road space characterise the Kukatpally region, which houses the KPHB area, making it an accident prone zone, with 120 accidents a year.
Madhapur: A cluttered urban space of countless passersby, a zillion share -autos and two lane roads, Madhapur is the gateway to the Hi-tech area, but also a major accident zone, with over 100 accidents reported a year. “Many accidents go unreported since most of the residents are techies who would rather solve the cases silently than involve the police. Also, many vehicles with registration number of other states and which do not possess NOCs drive around. Recently, the campaign against drunken driving has helped in bring down accidents.
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