Highways becoming death traps in AP: Survey

VIJAYAWADA: The state has recorded 64 per cent of the total accident deaths on the eight per cent of the road network, those are national and state highways, says a survey conducted by the Andhra Pradesh police.The survey also revealed that 36 per cent of the accident deaths were reported on national highways, which comprises only 2.5 per cent of the totl road network across the state. The survey was conducted by the Andhra Pradesh police as part of   the perspective plan for setting up a Bureau of Road Safety and Traffic Planning in the state. The police department made public the survey reports in Vijayawada, on the announcement of the proposed Bureau of Road Safety and Traffic Planning in Andhra Pradesh.The report also said that the state highways, which  amounts to 5.5 per cent of total road network, recorded 28 per cent of the accident deaths.As many as 13,683 fatal accidents recorded on state roads last year claiming 15,696 lives. And the national highways' contribution stood at 4,453, which accounts for 32.5 per cent of total accidents recorded in 2010. The deaths recorded on NHs in 2010 were 5,269 which amounts 33.5 per cent of total deaths reported on road accidents in the year 2010.In the same year, there were 3,054 road accidents reported on the state highways which claimed 3,557 lives. The state highways accounts to 5.5 per cent of total road network but they claimed 32.6 per cent deaths recorded in road accidents.But the district roads found to be safe, which accounts to 92 per cent of the total road network, recorded only 6,870 deaths, the 43.8 per cent of the total accidents recorded last year.The state that has 6 per cent of the total road networks in the country, recorded 12 per cent of the total accidents, the highest by any state. It also recorded 24 deaths per 10,000 vehicles, as compared to the 20 for the country. Showing concern over the increase in accident deaths specially on highways, the AP Police have decided to set up a Bureau of Road Safety.The police department is planning to set up Highway Patrolling Outposts (HOPS) to check the speeding vehicles  and errant drivers.