Between 2022 and 2024, there were 197 hit-and-run cases, many of which remain unresolved.
Visakhapatnam: The city roads are proving to be a death trap to motorists. It reports an average of four to five accidents daily; meaning, approximately 1,500 accidents annually. These result in an average of one fatality each day.
Stating this here on Sunday, police commissioner Sankha Brata Bagchi said that in view of this, the city police have launched a ‘road traffic accident victim assistance centre’ at the commissioner’s office.
A silver lining is that Visakhapatnam of late saw a slight reduction in road accidents -- from 1,462 in 2021 to 1,016 in 2024, he said.
Correspondingly, the fatalities have dropped from 344 to 312 and injuries from 1458 to 1,058, indicating some progress in the road safety initiatives here. However, the city remains one of the most accident-prone areas in Andhra Pradesh, which records around 20,000 accidents and approximately 7,500 to 8,000 deaths annually across the state, he said.
He said that, in addition to general traffic incidents, hit-and-run cases posed a significant challenge in Visakhapatnam. Between 2022 and 2024, there were 197 hit-and-run cases, many of which remain unresolved.
The legal framework provides a Rs 2 lakh compensation to families for fatalities and Rs 50,000 for injuries, he said.
The police commissioner stated that the assistance centre would have facilities for filing of FIRs, particularly in hit-and-run cases.
The centre has a detailed Standard Operating Procedure for handling accidents and collecting necessary documentation from authorities like the Central Insurance Company. The centre’s process involves multiple stages, including obtaining death certificates for victims, a system for follow-up with various courts to ensure legal compliance and address compensation claims, he said.
A silver lining is that Visakhapatnam of late saw a slight reduction in road accidents -- from 1,462 in 2021 to 1,016 in 2024, he said.
Correspondingly, the fatalities have dropped from 344 to 312 and injuries from 1458 to 1,058, indicating some progress in the road safety initiatives here. However, the city remains one of the most accident-prone areas in Andhra Pradesh, which records around 20,000 accidents and approximately 7,500 to 8,000 deaths annually across the state, he said.
He said that, in addition to general traffic incidents, hit-and-run cases posed a significant challenge in Visakhapatnam. Between 2022 and 2024, there were 197 hit-and-run cases, many of which remain unresolved.
The legal framework provides a Rs 2 lakh compensation to families for fatalities and Rs 50,000 for injuries, he said.
The police commissioner stated that the assistance centre would have facilities for filing of FIRs, particularly in hit-and-run cases.
The centre has a detailed Standard Operating Procedure for handling accidents and collecting necessary documentation from authorities like the Central Insurance Company. The centre’s process involves multiple stages, including obtaining death certificates for victims, a system for follow-up with various courts to ensure legal compliance and address compensation claims, he said.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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