A state-wide bike tour by an Assam minister raises awareness of road safety

Guwahati: To promote road safety awareness, Assam’s Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is participating in a statewide bike rally. The ‘Path Suraksha Jan Andolan’ rally got underway on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Here are a few snippets from the Path Suraksha Jan Andolan Bike Rally in Guwahati on Day 2. In keeping with our mission to reiterate HCM Dr. @himantabiswa dangoriya’s message of promoting awareness of road safety, I am riding till Goalapara today,” the Minister, who was spotted on a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 cruiser motorcycle, stated in a post on X.

Sharing some glimpses from Day 2 of Path Suraksha Jan Andolan Bike Rally in Guwahati.
I am riding till Goalapara today in line with our motive of reiterating the message of HCM Dr.@himantabiswa dangoriya about raising awareness on road safety. pic.twitter.com/ADowT0jv3Q

— Parimal Suklabaidya (Modi Ka Parivar) (@ParimalSuklaba1) November 20, 2023

“We organized this road safety awareness rally as a first step in supporting evidence-based strategies to avert and ultimately terminate additional traffic-related fatalities and injuries. “I’ll be touring every Assamese constituency to raise awareness of road safety,” he continued.

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In order to raise public awareness of the importance of road safety and to instill a sense of responsibility in citizens, the rally includes awareness meetings with stakeholders, government officials, students, drivers, and the general public. According to figures from the state transport department, there were 6,001 accidents in the state between January and October of this year, resulting in 2,606 fatalities. Based on the data, the districts that had the largest number of deaths during this period were Kamrup (R), Kamrup (M), Nagaon, Sonitpur, and Goalpara.

Remarkably, 40.89% of accidents happened between 15:00 and 21:00, with national routes accounting for 40% of those incidents. Additionally, it revealed that 76% of incidents occurred in marketplaces, open spaces, and residential neighborhoods. According to data, the age group of 18 to 45 years old accounted for 78.88% of all deaths in 2021, making up the most active portion of the population.

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It also highlighted the vulnerability of non-motorized vehicle users and pedestrians, who made up 28% of crash victims in the same year. Two-wheelers and four-wheelers are involved in an astounding 60% of crashes, highlighting the critical need for focused safety measures. The fact that large vehicles like trucks and buses account for 8% of all collisions on these roads raises even more concerns.

On the other hand, the data revealed that speeding causes the greatest number of accidents (68%), followed by driving on the wrong side (7.12%), drunk driving (9.14%), using a cell phone (3.60%), jumping red lights (1.52%), and 10.84% attributable to other reasons.