Odisha's road accidents result in over 16,000 deaths in three years

Bhubaneswar, Dec 5: In the past three years, Odisha has witnessed a staggering 16,287 fatalities due to road accidents, as revealed by Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena during an Assembly session on Friday.

This statement came in response to a query from BJD MLA Chakramani Kanhar regarding road safety measures, the number of casualties, and the government's efforts to address issues such as drunken driving, unfit vehicles, unlicensed driving, and traffic management.

Minister Jena noted that alongside the fatalities, 30,453 individuals suffered various degrees of injuries in road accidents across the state. To combat these alarming statistics, the Transport Department has implemented e-challans for offenders violating the Motor Vehicles Act. Additionally, 37 interceptors equipped with speed detection radars and breath analysers have been stationed along Rajpath to curb road rage and drunken driving incidents.

Driving licenses of violators are being suspended, and stringent actions are being taken against vehicle owners who breach traffic regulations. All police stations now have the authority to enforce traffic rules rigorously, and traffic police are actively monitoring helmet usage among two-wheeler riders. Furthermore, the state has five government driving training centers, with 5,195 heavy vehicle driving licenses issued in the last two years.