One in 3 road accidents in Delhi by ‘unknown’ vehicles; cause unclear in most cases

“… Most accidents took place between 11 pm and 12 am, with 13 fatal crashes seen during this time last year and 123 fatal accidents in 2021. Pedestrians were the top victims,” stated the report.

Data showed that a total of 2.12 lakh two-wheeler drivers and 44,475 pillion riders were prosecuted for not wearing helmets. Head injuries were the leading cause of death and major trauma for two-wheeler users, said the report.

The report also shows that improper parking topped the list of offences and saw the most challans —3.62 lakh — issued by traffic police officers last year.

The report further stated that on-the-spot challans for driving without a licence also saw a 52% spike — while 28,992 challans were issued in 2021, 60,453 challans were issued last year. Underage driving also saw a rise with 34,966 challans issued last year as compared to 18,497 challans in 2021 — a 47% increase.

A senior traffic officer said, “Stringent drives to check underage driving and those driving without licences is being carried out; traffic inspectors are posted at crucial junctions and intersections to check this. OSVD and RLVD cameras have also helped us detect and fine offending vehicles. Accidents take place due to several road engineering issues; the traffic police is coordinating with road experts to improve this and spread road safety awareness among commuters.”

Road Safety Expert, Professor P K Sarkar, told The Indian Express, “The reason behind improper parking being the most-reported offence is that spotting vehicles parked in a no-parking zone is an easy task, due to which several traffic officers detect and get the vehicle towed away.”

He added that cases of driving without licences had increased primarily because of driving tests going automatic and becoming stringent. “Hence, most people take to driving without a licence and get caught and challaned by police,” he added.