Karnataka marks a position for itself in the list of top five states that recorded the highest number of road fatalities in the year 2014-15. The State had recorded 7.5% of the total road fatalities in India.
According to the Road Accident Report for 2014, Indian roads claimed 75000 lives aged between 15 and 34 years, of which 82% were males. Of the total road accident deaths in India, 2744 accidents were in Karnataka.
The Times of India quoted Rohit Baluja, a road safety expert, "We need to learn from these numbers that there is a need to make young people more aware of road safety issues. Families should play a big role in sensitizing them on how to behave safe on roads."
According to the Transport Research Wing's report, thirteen states, which includes the South Indian states except for Kerala, account for about 83.2% of the deaths.
The report reveals that Karanatka and Kerala recorded maximum number of severely injured victims followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. 26628 people were grievously injured in road accidents in Karnataka taking it to the top of the list. Kerala was not far behind, the State recorded 26219 cases.
KK Kapila, chief of Geneva-based International Road Federation told the Times of India,"Many such victims may have become disabled completely for the rest of their lives. This is a huge burden on families. The studies by Asian Development Bank showed how road injuries and fatalities push affected families to poverty."
