ndian roads are known to be dangerous. But just how lethal they are is now evident with official figures revealing that nearly 280 people die in road accidents every day. Among the metros, Delhi tops the chart with 1,717 persons dying on its roads in 2005.
The figures for 2006 are being compiled, but the number of persons dead is likely to be more than 100,000. This staggering number is all the more distressing as the profiles of victims reveal that two-thirds of the dead in 2005 were in the 15-44 age bracket. This highlights not only a tragic waste of lives but could also point to lack of post-accident emergency services.
Among cities, Chennai is second behind Delhi with 1,055 dead, followed by Bangalore (835), Mumbai (787), Kanpur (598), Hyderabad (577), Jaipur (495) and Kolkata (484). In Delhi, nearly one-fourth of the victims were pedestrians, a testimony to the city's culture of reckless driving as well as poor road etiquette.
At the national level, smaller vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers, contribute virtually as much to making Indian roads a death trap as do heavier vehicles like trucks.
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