KATHMANDU, July 18: A total of 903 people have lost their lives in different road accidents that took place in Kathmandu valley over the past five years.
The number of people who were killed in the road accidents in Kathmandu was 133 in the fiscal year 2014/15, 166 in 2015/16, 182 in 2016/17, and 194 in 2017/18 while road accidents that took place during the period from January, 2019 to June, 2019 left 228 people dead.
According to the data collected by Nepal Police, a total of 7,752 road accidents occurred in the fiscal year 2018/19. As many as 289 people were seriously injured while 5361 people sustained minor injuries in these road accidents.
With the number of vehicles increasing gradually, road accidents are also on the increase, the report states.
Replicating Kathmandu Valley's success to curb road accidents
There are many reasons for road accidents in the valley. Negligence on the part of drivers, high speed, and drunk-drinking stand out from them, according to the report.
Spokesperson for Metropolitan Traffic Police Division(MTPD), Rabi Kumar Poudel, said that MTPD has made different efforts to decrease the number of road accidents in Kathmandu so far.
Taking action against those who drive under the influence of alcohol is one of the successful measures that resulted in the reduction of road accidents, he added.
SP Poudel further said that the two new measures-checking speed limit and opening the corridor along the bank of the river to traffic have also played a role in the decrease in the number of road accidents in the valley.
A total of 6870 road accidents have been attributed to negligence on the part of drivers, 458 to high speed and 235 to drunk-driving. Some other reasons behind road accidents include a tendency for drivers to overtake vehicles, negligence on the part of passengers, technical problem with vehicles, overloaded vehicles and poor road condition.
According to the data provided by Nepal Police, nearly 2,000 people lose their lives in road accidents annually.
