In the past two years, 100 people have died and nearly 50 have sustained injuries between Manor (Palghar) and Achad (Gujarat) on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. This 52-km stretch has nearly a dozen accident spots, including the bridge over Surya river.
The ‘accident black spot’ where industrialist Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jehangir Pandole died on Sunday is a narrow road that gets reduced to two lanes because of an oddly designed divider over the river.
Vinod Kumar, a frequent user, said the highway is one of the most crowded and badly designed in the country. “It goes through Palghar and is used by truckers who insist on occupying the right lane, forcing other motorists to overtake dangerously from the left. He said it also lacks proper signboards that can alert motorists of the dangers ahead.”
As per data released by the National Crime Records Bureau, more than one person died every hour in Maharashtra in road related crashes in 2021. With 13,911 casualties, the state is worst ranked after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
A transport expert said that the tragic deaths highlight how dangerous our roads are. He said last year alone, over 1.55 lakh people were killed in road crashes across India, and 60 per cent of all fatal crashes were caused by speeding. As for the top reasons for injury, non-usage of seatbelts and collision with exposed hard structures along the road played key roles.
