Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: The state government has begun the groundwork for minimising road accidents by carrying out a road safety analysis survey, which has so far covered 2,000km.

Odisha is one of the most vulnerable states in the country with an average of 10 deaths taking place every day because of road accidents.

Works secretary and vice-president of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) Nalinikanta Pradhan said: 'A survey for accident analysis on 15,000km of the state highways, major district roads, minor district roads and urban roads will be completed very soon to recognise the vulnerable points or 'black spots' so that they can be corrected subsequently.'

Speaking on the sidelines of the 75th session of the IRC, chief engineer (roads and projects) B.C. Pradhan said: 'All states have to submit their action plan on how to mitigate road accidents and the safety survey will be a step forward in this direction. Once the survey on the entire stock of PWD road is done, we will be able to ready the report. Different agencies managing roads will submit separate action plans.'

Pradhan also added that the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) will conduct the survey and the institute will confirm their participation within 15 days.

In a judgment on April 22 last year, Supreme Court made the Union government and the states responsible for road accidents and asked them to file reports on road accidents.

The CRRI survey will cover the blind curves and their geometric analysis and gradient. Signage and analysis of junction points and the design aspects of the roads meeting at the square should be collected.

Presiding over a panel discussion on road safety at the IRC venue, director-general of police Sanjeev Marik said: 'The road engineers and the enforcing agencies must work in harmony and there should be strict enforcement of the regulations. He, however, blamed the highways, which, despite being just two per cent of the entire length of roads in Odisha, account for 45 per cent of accident deaths.'

Presenting an overview of the draft road safety action plan of the state government, Manoranjan Mishra of the works department said: 'Trucks cause deaths in 21 per cent cases, pedestrians and bicycle riders are the major victims as they account for 25 per cent of the accident deaths. The 4,062 deaths caused in 2013 amount lost the state's exchequer Rs 1,053 crore.'

While the situation requires proper co-ordination between departments such as education, transport, health, public works and there is a need for a regular meeting of the Odisha road safety council and a formation of Odisha road safety fund, the absence of an accident information system comes as the major stumbling block.

'We have to build a database for accidents and start having a co-ordinated approach in this regard,'' Mishra said.