THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state transport department will prepare an action plan to reduce road accidents. Minister Antony Raju directed the head of the department to identify the dangerous roads and prepare a solution. The action is based on the report of the Union Ministry of Transport that road accidents in the state have increased by 31.87 percent compared to the previous year.

Kerala is third on the list of states with the highest number of road accidents in 2022 and was fifth the two years before that. Kerala, which was sixth in the list of accidents on national highways, is now second. However, the death rate is relatively low. Three deaths occur for every 10,000 vehicle accidents. According to the Motor Vehicle Department, the reason for this is the use of helmets and seat belts. Tamil Nadu which is lagging in helmet use has the highest accident-fatality rate. The second position goes to Maharashtra for accidents and Telangana for death rate.

4.61 lakh road accidents in the country

Accidents in 2022- 4.61 lakh
Death - 1.68 lakh
Injured - 4.43 lakh
Death because of not using helmet - 50,029
Injured - 1.01 lakh
Death because of not wearing seat belt - 16,715
In 2021- 8,438
Injured - 42,303
Death due to speeding- 45,928
Injured - 1.1 lakh

Observations about Kerala

138 out of 100,000 people who are involved in road accidents are injured. 12 deaths.
A total of 43,910 road accidents (9.5 percent of the country's accidents)
17,627 accidents occurred on national highways (11.6 percent of accidents in the country).
25 accidents in potholes on roads. One death 1 and 30 injured.
305 accidents in connection with road construction and maintenance. 38 deaths
Accident on straight roads- 26,556
Accidents on curves- 5,510

Cause of Death, Number of Deaths (number of injured in brackets)

Speeding- 2,228 (28,296)
Not wearing seat belt – 74 (1,085)
Not wearing helmet- 534 (2,490)
Drunk driving- 31 (162)
Driving in the wrong direction - 198 (2,557)
Crossing red traffic signal- 2 (292)
Phone use while driving- 7 (86)