By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 14, 2016: Odisha is among the 13 top states which reported maximum number of road accidents in 2014. At least 9649 accidents took place in the state in which 4299 persons died and 11,087 persons were severally injured.

According to Union ministry of road transport and highway accident statistics 2014, the accident severity ratio (number of persons killed per 100 accidents) stood at 40.7 per cent in Odisha. This is higher in comparison to the national average.

“Death per every lakh population in Odisha stands at 31.6 per cent against national average of 11 per cent,” Dr Kamaljit Soi, member, National Road Safety Council, told to media on Sunday.

Mr Soi added that over-speeding by commercial vehicles; drunken driving and absence of speed- governor devices on vehicles played a major role in high accidental deaths in the state.

Stating that Odisha did not have required number of speed governors (SGs), Mr Soi said that the state government must implement the Supreme Court decision that made it mandatory for Installation of SGs in all vehicles that would ensure speed limits and thereby contribute to reduction in the rate of accidents.

“The most effective way to reduce these alarming statistics is by slowing down on our roads. If we all slow down, our chances of being killed or seriously injured on the road would dramatically decrease. Speeding is not just driving faster than the speed limit. It is also driving too fast for the weather, light, traffic and road conditions. After lot of efforts and persuasion in order to reduce deaths and injuries on the roads of the country, Supreme court of India in the year 2002, issued directions for fitment of speed governors to save lives to all the states, but to utter disregard to human lives states have not followed the directions,” Mr Soi regretted.

On April 15, 2015, the Union ministry of road transport and highways directed that all state governments specify categories of transport non-SG fitted vehicles registered prior to October 15 and ensure that they purchased right SGs for their vehicles on or before the April 1, 2016 deadline.