The Maharashtra Highway Safety Patrol has concluded a study that lasted the entire of Y2007, and has completely nullified some accident-related myths. For instance:
- Foggy conditions actually reduce the rate of accidents, since drivers are more cautious in their approach.
- A whopping 60% of accidents, and 64% of fatalities occur due to overspeeding.
- In comparion, drunk driving accounts for only 5% of accidents.
- Overloaded / overcrowded vehicles are second on the cause of fatality.
- Third on the list is the sheer lack of driving skill. However, this causes a lesser (relatively) number of deaths, presumably due to the lower speeds maintained by unskilled drivers.
- Rural areas account for only 36% of accidents, but a whopping 64% of deaths. This is obviously due to dismal levels of medical infrastructure.
- The Evening hours 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. are risky due to twilight conditions.
Get this, about 1,000 Indians die of AIDS each year compared to a whopping 90,000+ in road accidents!
Drive safe, guys. Especially on the highway.
Source : Mumbai Mirror