Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (SP)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Jan 18: In both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, the number of road accidents came down in 2020 as compared to the previous year. Major contributors to this achievement were coronavirus-induced lockdown, strict measures undertaken by the police department, and improved road conditions.
In 2019, a total of 3,162 had happened in the two districts. In comparison, the number came down to 2,335 in 2020. The number of cases registered in various police stations in these districts also went down.
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Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police, B M Laxmi Prasad, said that vehicular density came down by about 30 percent due to lockdown, and the number of accidents registered a 28 percent drop in 2020.
In Udupi district, a majority of the accidents happened in the highways. In 2020, 429 accidents happened on highways in which 108 were killed and 480 were injured. In Dakshina Kannada, 692 accidents happened on highways, accounting for 115 lives. Excessive speed, drunk driving, and violation of road rules are the major reasons for these accidents. At the same time, unscientific, improper road works, potholes on the road, and improper street lights at night also caused some of these accidents, it is learnt.
Kumar Chandra, additional superintendent of police, Udupi, noted that during the lock down period, check posts were created and vehicles were checked. In addition to this, he stated, stricter implementation of traffic rules also had a positive effect on the number of accidents.