Bhubaneswar, Jan.12: Road accidents have become more frequent in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The number of accidents in these cities last year went up by 1.1 per cent as compared to 2009.

While the number of fatalities in road accidents in the twin cities in 2009 was 274, it went up to 299 last year, according to the annual crime report released by the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police.

The report says 929 accidents occurred in the twin cities last year, with 617 reported from Bhubaneswar and 312 from Cuttack.

The number of deaths from road accidents increased in the capital city from 158 in 2009 to 190 in 2010. Accident-related causalities, however, fell to 109 in 2010 from 116 in 2009.

A total of 763 people were injured in road accidents in areas that fall within the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police limits with 553 persons sustaining injuries in Bhubaneswar and 210 in Cuttack. The report also states that 918 accidents took place in both cities in 2009, in which 274 people were killed while 785 sustained injuries.

Just 44 per cent of the accidents in which people died occurred on National Highways last year.

Presenting the report, the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police commissioner, B.K. Sharma, said that out of the 299 deaths in the twin cities, 133 occurred on the National Highways. Two highways pass through Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

“The 44 per cent death toll on the National Highways proves that the major chunk of accident-related deaths occur inside the city and in rural areas, contrary to the earlier perception that accident deaths normally occur on the highways,” said the commissioner. According to the report 79 accident-related deaths have been caused by trucks, 32 by buses, 55 by motorcycles, 105 by other vehicles. In 28 accident-related death cases, the vehicles have not been identified.

“As 111 deaths were caused by heavy vehicles, we have started diverting trucks through Pitapalli to Gopalpur road from the January 1,” said Sharma.

Commenting on the increase in the number of deaths, the commissioner said rash driving, particularly by youngsters, was one of the major reasons. To curb such rash driving, the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police has regularly been conducting checks at important junctions. The police have also been using breath analysers, speed interceptors, sound level meters and mobile cranes to curb rash driving, drunk driving, illegal parking and so on that contribute to road accidents.

The commissioner also said that the number of traffic personnel would be increased to 250 from the current 165 in the twin cities, after the training of special police officers is over. “Besides we have given a proposal to the state government for installing close circuit TV cameras at the traffic junctions in the city. This would cost an estimated Rs 21 crore,” said Sharma.