Highway Police of Maharashtra State Strive to Eliminate 742 Remaining Black Spots on State Highways
Mumbai, 5th February 2024: Despite a reduction of 262 black spots on Maharashtra highways between 2019 and 2021, there remain 742 black spots, as revealed by a recent analysis conducted by the Highway Police. In light of the persistently high number of accidents and fatalities on the Maharashtra State’s highways, the Highway Police is intensifying efforts to bring the number of black spots down to zero, aiming to enhance road safety and prevent future accidents and fatalities.
The distribution of black spots across different types of roads is as follows:
– National Highway: 511
– State Highway: 147
– Main District Roads/Major District Road: 0
– Other Roads: 79
– Expressway: 5
– Total: 742 black spots
Highway police attribute a significant number of accidents to non-compliance with traffic rules by motorists. Contributing factors include overspeeding, lack of helmet usage, failure to use seat belts, lane cutting, and violations of no-entry rules.
The alarming statistics underscore the severity of the issue, with an average of 15,000 motorists losing their lives annually due to accidents. In 2021, the state witnessed 29,477 accidents, resulting in 13,528 driver fatalities. Similarly, in 2022, there were 33,383 accidents, leading to 15,224 driver deaths. The consistent occurrence of accidents and fatalities highlights the urgency of addressing road safety concerns.
The Highway Police has implemented various measures, including rumblers, cat eyes, blinkers, traffic jams, traffic rule signboards, road widening, and dividers, in collaboration with road maintenance departments such as NHAI, PWD, and MSRDC. These efforts resulted in the reduction of 262 black spots in the recent analysis. However, the commitment to achieving zero black spots remains a priority for the Highway Police to ensure safer highways for motorists.
Furthermore, an emerging concern named “highway hypnosis” or “white line fever” has gained attention. This phenomenon occurs when drivers enter a trance-like state during prolonged monotonous highway drives, leading to reduced awareness and attention. The Highway Police emphasizes the importance of addressing such issues, encouraging breaks, engaging tasks, staying hydrated, and employing stimulating techniques to enhance alertness and promote safer driving on long, monotonous highways.
