GUWAHATI, Feb 26 - Majority of road accidents in the State and fatalities during such mishaps occur due to either over-speeding or on account of dangerous or careless driving. As per the government data, over-speeding was the reason behind 3,439 cases of road mishaps in Assam during 2018, the latest year for which State-wide figures are available.
Another 1,329 incidents of road accidents took place due to dangerous or careless driving or over-taking.
In addition, 254 road mishaps were recorded on account of driving under influence of drug or alcohol, while 81 accidents took place due to physical fatigue of drivers.
Defect in mechanical condition of motor vehicle was responsible for 318 cases of road accidents. Among other causes were animal crossing (76), poor weather condition (483), lack of road infrastructure (205), and vehicles parking at road shoulders (114).
Another 822 incidents of road accidents in Assam during 2018 took place due to other causes, while in 59 cases the causes for mishaps could not be ascertained.
With regard to fatalities during road mishap, 1,252 deaths took place on account of over-speeding and 547 were due to dangerous or careless driving.
During the year under review, 61 persons lost their lives in road accidents which took place due to driving under influence of drug or alcohol, 26 on account of physical fatigue of drivers, 101 were attributed to defect in mechanical condition of motor vehicle, 26 to animal crossing, 178 to poor weather conditions, 75 to lack of proper road infrastructure, and 33 were due to vehicles parking at road shoulders.
Other causes were responsible for road accident deaths in 385 cases, while in 28 such incidents the causes were not known.
It is noteworthy that there were a total of 7,180 cases of road mishaps in Assam during 2018, and 2,712 persons died in such accidents.
According to available data, 385 of the mishaps took place between midnight to 3 am, 721 were between 3 am and 6 am, 999 between 6 am to 9 am, 1,166 between 9 am to 12 noon, 985 between 12 noon to 3 pm, 1,225 between 3 pm to 6 pm, 1,002 between 6 pm to 9 pm, and 697 mishaps took place between 9 pm to midnight.
Regarding the mode of transport of those who lost their lives in road mishaps during the year under review, the maximum was among two-wheeler riders.
Of the total fatalities, as many as 780 were in two-wheelers, 405 were in trucks or lorries, 213 were in buses, 209 in SUVs or station wagons, 474 in cars, nine in jeeps, 45 in tractors, 141 in three-wheelers or auto rickshaws, 70 in other motor vehicles, 105 were travelling in bicycles, 179 were pedestrians, and 82 were categorized as �others�, as per the latest government data.
