Assam Reports Unique Decline in Road Accident Rates: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Dec 24 (NationPress) Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday that there has been a significant reduction in road accident fatalities within the state. He emphasized the need for heightened vigilance to maintain these low numbers in the future.

The Chief Minister convened a review meeting focused on road safety on Tuesday, where he engaged with officials from the transport department and District Commissioners to evaluate the initiatives implemented by the state to prevent further road accidents.

He remarked, "I chaired a crucial review meeting on road safety with key stakeholders. While Assam is the only state in the nation to record a decline in accident fatalities, the period leading to January is critical to maintaining these statistics. We will undertake comprehensive measures to ensure our roads remain safe for everyone."

CM Sarma highlighted that Assam is the sole state in India that has experienced a reduction in road accidents.

"We have observed an overall reduction of 15 percent in road accidents due to the enforcement of stringent laws," the CM stated, adding that the state administration plans to implement even stricter measures aimed at further reducing the accident toll.

Previously, CM Sarma presented a comparison chart illustrating the first six months of 2023 versus 2024.

This year, the monthly count of road accidents has risen compared to last year. For instance, in June 2023, there were only 555 incidents, whereas in June 2024, the number surged to 1,234 incidents, reflecting an increase of over 122 percent, as noted by the CM.

The smallest increase was recorded between May 2023 and May 2024, where the previous year's 686 incidents rose to 831 incidents this year.

From January to June 2023, there were 3,746 accident cases in Assam, while the same timeframe this year saw 5,460 cases, marking a substantial increase of over 45 percent.

In 2023, the total number of fatalities reached 1,670, while the first half of this year recorded 1,248 fatalities.

Despite the rise in road accidents, the decline in fatalities is attributed to prompt medical assistance, as per CM Sarma.

However, injuries resulting from road accidents have escalated significantly by over 150 percent. Between January and June 2023, there were 2,907 injuries, which climbed to 7,360 injuries this year.

Nevertheless, according to the Chief Minister, the situation has improved over the past few months due to the stringent measures enforced by the police and transport department.