North district recorded highest hit-and-run cases, says report

Pedestrians accounted for fifty per cent of fatalities with 45 percent motorcyclists bearing the maximum brunt of accidents in 2022.

Motorcyclists among most vulnerable

• Hit-and-run cases remained alarmingly consistent at 59 percent over 2021, 2022
• Pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and autorickshaw occupants accounted for 97 per cent of deaths
• Azadpur flyover to Punjabi Bagh Chowk was recorded as the high risk corridor
• Accidents were most frequent between 9 pm and 2 am
• Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays were the deadliest days

The 2022 Delhi Road Crash Fatalities Report released by the Delhi Transport Department, revealed that fatal crashes and road crash deaths have surpassed the figures of pre-Covid-19 statistics. In 2019, 1,433 fatal crashes and 1,463 road crash deaths were reported.

The Road Safety Lead Agency (RSLA) of the Delhi Transport Department, in its crash analysis, reported 4,720 crashes in 2021 which increased to 5,652 crashes in 2022. The report said among vulnerable road users, pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and autorickshaw occupants accounted for 97 per cent of the deaths, surpassing the national average of 70.8 percent.

The report also indicated that men accounted for

89 percent of these deaths, with the largest proportion occurring in the 30-39 age group.

Accidents were most frequent between 9 pm and 2 am, due to high speed at night. Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays were the deadliest days accounting for 221, 228 and 225 road crash death respectivly.

Heavy vehicles and light motor vehicles were responsible for 81 percent of the crashes, with hit-and-run cases remaining alarmingly consistent at 59 percent over 2021 and 2022.

Deaths reported due to hit-and-run cases, the highest number of fatalities were reported in the 20-29 age group at 195, followed by 180 in 30-39 category and 135 deaths in 40-49 age group.

Pedestrians bore the brunt of these crashes, making up 57 percent of hit-and-run victims, followed by motorcyclists at 33 per cent.

According to the report, Delhi’s North District had the highest number of fatal crashes and hit-and-run incidents, with 260 and 150 cases, respectively. This was followed closely by New Delhi and West districts, while the North East district recorded the lowest number of such incidents.

Meanwhile, Azadpur flyover to Punjabi

Bagh Chowk was recorded as the high risk corridor, a stretch of 5.6 kilometre (km) saw 26 crashes and five deaths per km, the highest in the capital.

The 17.6 km stretch of Tikri Border to Punjabi Chowk to Mukarba Chowk had the most crashes recorded at 58.

Mukarba Chowk was a high-risk location, the report said with 22 fatal crashes in 2019, 2021 and 2022 followed by Kashmere Gate Metro Station at 19.

To mitigate deadly crashes, the report suggests implementing safety measures such as building more footpaths, reducing pedestrian crossing distances, and installing raised crosswalks. These measures, combined with addressing risk factors like speeding and inadequate safety gear use, could significantly reduce the frequency of fatal road accidents.