MARGAO: Despite efforts to reduce accidents, Goa’s ‘killer’ roads continue to snuff out lives. During the first six months in 2024, the State recorded 1,387 accidents, which resulted in 165 deaths, when compared to last year’s 1,477 accidents and 164 fatalities during the same period. In all 190 accidents and 17 deaths were reported in June 2024.
The statistics are alarming with Verna, Maina-Curtorim, Porvorim, Old Goa, Panjim and Ponda, recording the highest number of road accidents, resulting in fatalities.
Out of these 1,387 accidents which occurred during the first six months in 2024, the highest 110 accidents took place in the jurisdiction of Verna Police Station followed by 92 in Maina-Curtorim Police Station, 91 – Porvorim PS, 89 – Old Goa PS, 88 – Panjim PS, 77 – Ponda PS, 64 – Bicholim PS, 63 – Cuncolim PS, 59 – Mapusa PS, 58 – Fatorda PS, 54 – Margao PS, 53 – Agasaim PS, 51 – Anjuna PS, 45 – Colva PS, 42 – Canacona PS, 39 – Valpoi PS, 37 – Colvale PS, 36 -Pernem PS, 33 -Mardol PS, 32 -Calangute PS, 31 -Quepem PS, 24 – Curchorem PS, 18 each in Mopa and Collem, 15- Mandrem, 11 Sanguem, 10 each in Saligao and Mormugao Police Stations.
In 2023, for the first six months, of 1,477 total number of accidents, 128 occurred in Verna, 120 – Panjim, 118 – Porvorim, 105 – Maina-Curtorim, 94 – Ponda, 84 – Old Goa, 69 each in Agasaim, Cuncolim and Mapusa, 62 – Anjuna, 56 – Bicholim, 54 each in Canacona and Pernem, 53 – Fatorda, 46 – Vasco, 40 – Margao, 36 – Quepem, 38 – Colva, 33 – Valpoi, 25 – Calangute, 24 – Mopa, 22 each in Colvale and Curchorem, 17 – Collem, 14 – Mormugao, 12 – Saligao, 11 – Sanguem, and 1 each in Dabolim and Mardol.
Till June this year, of 165 fatalities, 16 were reported in Ponda, followed by 12 in Bicholim, 10 each in Cuncolim and Maina-Curtorim, 8 each in Verna, Fatorda, Valpoi and Pernem, 9 each in Old Goa and Agasaim, 5 each in Panjim, Mapusa, Margao, Mopa, Collem and Mandrem, 4 each in Anjuna, Canacona , Colvale and Vasco.
In all 190 accidents and 17 deaths were reported in June 2024.
Of the 190 accidents, 18 were reported in Old Goa, 17 – Verna, 16 – Maina-Curtorim, 15 – Panjim, 14 – Porvorim, 11 each in Ponda and Fatorda, 9 – Agasaim, 8 each in Bicholim and Anjuna, 7 each in Margao and Calangute, 6 each in Cuncolim, Valpoi and Mapusa, 5 – Curchorem, 4 – Colvale, 3 each in Pernem, Mardol, Quepem, Canacona and Collem and 1 – Colva.
A traffic police official said that traffic police cells and departments concerned are implementing measures like campaigns against drunk driving and preventive safety systems to reduce accidents.
Mahesh Nayak, NGO Jai Damodar said that accident rates on Goa roads are going up mainly because of negligent and reckless driving. He said that if the police and RTO take serious note of the growing number of accidents and implement the Motor Vehicles Act then surely the number of accidents will reduce.
Nayak said that police and RTO officials are hardly seen on the highways for checking and alleged that due to their inaction the number of accidents is rising. Speed limit on highways is hardly checked, he said.
He also said that drivers drive in rash and negligent manner on highways and other roads also resulting in accidents. He said that another reason is cars with power steering and once a driver is onhighways with power steering they drive in any way and once they lose control due to over speeding vehicles go off the road and accidents take place. He said that these things have to be checked by authorities concerned.
Drunk driving also contributes to the accidents, he said.
Goa Road Safety Forum president Dilip Naik regretted that the State government is not feeling the pulse of the gravity of accidents.
He said, “The important question is whether the applicants undergo stringent tests while issuing licences. The poor condition of the roads also contributes to accidents as those hotmixed in May were washed away in monsoon. Tourists ride/drive vehicles by using Google Maps as signboards in the State are not as per Indian Road Safety (IRS) norms. We have to focus on four ‘Es’ – Education, Engineering, Enforcement and availability of Emergency Services.”
