A chapter of accidents!

Road traffic in Guwahati

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 21: Road traffic in Guwahati is a real chapter of accidents! As many as 279 people lost their lives in accidents in the city in 2017 – 170 in the National Highway alone. 

According to police sources, 279 people lost their lives in the city in 2017 in as many as 256 fatal accidents. There are also 755 others who sustained injuries in 721 other non-fatal accidents in the city in 2017. 

The statistics on accidents, both fatal and non-fatal ones, as given by the State police does not augur well for a metropolitan city that is touted as the Gateway to South-East Asian nations.      

The number of accidents that occur on the National Highway snaking through Guwahati makes one asks if it is a national highway or a deathtrap. In 2017 as many as 453 accidents occurred on the National Highway. While 155 of the accidents on the highway claimed 170 lives in 2017, as many as 296 were left injured in 298 other non-fatal accidents during the year. This statistics of accidents is essentially a pointer to the fact that NH-37 in Guwahati is not a smooth road in so far as road traffic is concerned.   

A month-wise break-up of the accidents in 2017 in Guwahati shows that in January 23 people were killed and 64 others injured in 84 accidents, 14 were killed and 64 injured in 83 accidents in February, 30 were killed and 67 others injured in 88 accidents in March, 31 were killed and 58 others injured in 86 accidents in April, 19 were killed and 42 others injured in 63 accidents in May, 14 were killed and 55 others injured in 68 accidents in June, 20 were killed and 59 others injured in 55 accidents in July, 24 were killed and 71 others injured in 91 accidents in August, 20 were killed and 58 others injured in 79 accidents in September, 32 were killed and 76 others injured in 79 accidents in October, 27 were killed and 63 others injured in 85 accidents in November and 25 were killed and 78 others injured in 96 accidents in December.