KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Valley reported over 9,000 cases of road accidents in the current fiscal year.
According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD), the figure till the end of the fiscal year 2076-77 BS was at 9,461 and negligence on the part of drivers is to primarily blame for most of the cases.
The number of accidents due to drivers’ negligence was 8,472 followed by 435 due to drunk-driving and 422 were caused by over-speed.
Similarly, 58 accidents were as a result of reckless overtaking, 49 from technical errors, 16 due to wretched condition of roadways, four due to negligence of pedestrians and five due to adverse weather and livestock interference.
According to MTPD chief, senior superintendent of police Bhim Prasad Dhakal, drivers’ unwillingness to follow the traffic rules is found the leading reason behind the high number of accidents in the Valley.
“Disobedience to the rules will lead to accident. Besides, over-speed, drunk driving, and failing to keep vehicles in good condition are identified as other causes of accidents.”
The majority of people losing lives to accidents in the current fiscal belong to the 17-35 age group. In the current fiscal year, 145 road fatalities occurred in the Valley and 95 of the victims belonged to the above-mentioned age category. Likewise, seven victims are below 16 and 44 are above 36. During the last fiscal year, 254 people had lost their lives to road accidents.
Two-wheelers more vulnerable
Riders of two-wheelers account the majority of the fatalities from road accidents compared to other vehicles in the Kathmandu Valley. A total of 76 riders of two-wheelers (motorcycle and scooter) died in the fiscal year 2076/77.
Similarly, others to lose lives in road accidents are- 47 pedestrians, six bus riders, five cyclists, five persons riding truck, three each riding tipper and car.
Daytime is most vulnerable for accident. As many as 9,461 vehicles met accident at daytime in the current fiscal year.
Division chief Dhakal shared that over speed is another major cause of road accident in Nepal.
Despite such surge in accidents, there are only 1,284 traffic police personnel managing the vehicular traffic in the valley. Although the quota for traffic police in the valley is 1087, there are more than 1,400 traffic police. The Kathmandu Valley has 2083 km roadway.
Meanwhile, the latest update of the vehicle registration has reached 1.3 million in Bagmati zone alone. Among these, nearly 1 million are operative. The total number of vehicle registered in the country is 1.53 million.
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