• Approximately 80 per cent of those killed in accidents are below 30 years of age

Kathmandu, June 21

As many as 2,318 persons were killed in 9,998 road accidents across the country until mid-June of the current fiscal, which ends in mid-July.

Senior Superintendent of Police Basant Kumar Pant, officiating in-charge at Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, said Kathmandu valley accounted for 168 deaths out of 2,318 recorded in the country.

“On an average, 2,000 persons are killed in road accidents in the country every year. Approximately 80 per cent of the deceased are below the age of 30 years and 84 per cent of road accidents are caused by human error,” he said at a programme ‘Promotion of Road Civilisation and Reduction of Road Accidents’ in Kathmandu today.

According to statistics by MTPD, seven persons are killed and 31 injured in road accidents every day. The country recorded an average of 28 road accidents which killed six persons every day in the fiscal 2016-17.

A total of 2,385 persons were killed in 10,178 roads accidents in 2016-17 and 2,006 persons in 10,013 road accidents in 2015-16. The data show rising trend of road accidents and fatalities in the country each year.

Despite gradual rise in road traffic accidents, the government and concerned agencies have failed to prevent fatalities due to negligence of drivers and poor road infrastructure, which many studies show are major causes of accidents on the national highways.

Road accident stands as a major killer in Nepal. Many accidents go unreported mainly because the parties involved settle the matter themselves.

Accidents with minor injury or damage to vehicles are often settled at the accident site and are not reported to police. Only accidents causing human injury are reported. SSP Pant said traffic police were strictly enforcing the laws to reduce road accidents caused by violation of traffic rules.

The major causes of road accidents are negligence of drivers, speeding, drink-driving, recklessness of passengers, haphazard overtaking, mechanical failure, overload, stray cattle, poor road condition and bad weather.