Stretch where Cyrus Mistry was killed has claimed 26 lives in 2022 so far

Seven people die in road mishaps every month on average on the three stretches of the MumbaiAhmedabad Highway including the one where former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry lost his life in an accident as per data from the Highway Traffic Police The data accessed by midday during its investigation and visits in the past week shows that the Mumbai to Charoti stretch witnesses 32 accidents a month on an averageThe MumbaiCharoti stretch of the highway from Versova bridge till Charoti falls under the jurisdiction of three highway traffic police stationsmdashChinchoti Manor and Charoti This entire stretch saw a total of 262 mishaps this year till August wherein 62 people lost their lives 78 suffered major and 73 sustained minor injuriesAs per the data provided by the Highway Traffic Police the 51 km of the highway from Wada Khadkona to Acchad which falls under the jurisdiction of Charoti Highway Traffic Police saw a total of 77 accidents from January to August this year wherein 26 people died 24 suffered grievous injuries and 29 sustained minor injuries This is the stretch where Mistryrsquos car met with an accident near Surya river bridgeVehicles were seen driving on the wrong side on the MumbaiAhmedabad Highway near Sasunavghar Palghar PicsSatej ShindeDuring the same period the 48km Manor stretch from Virar Phata to Wada Khadkona reported 100 mishaps in which 11 people died 27 were grievously injured and 32 sustained minor injuries Similarly the Chinchoti stretch from Dahisar to Virar Phata covering a distance of 275 km saw 85 accidents and 25 deaths while 27 sustained grievous injuries and 12 minor injuriesAlso Read The lsquoVrsquo and lsquoLrsquo on the road that claimed Cyrus Mistryrsquos lifeMeasures takenAfter Mistryrsquos death Highway Traffic Police authorities have done an audit of the highway from Dahisar toll plaza to Achad near MaharashtraGujarat border The Maharashtra Highway Traffic Police have also written a letter to the project director of the National Highways Authority of India NHAI incharge of the highwayLack of lighting along the highway makes the signage difficult to spot near Vasai flyoverDeputy Commissioner Police Highway Traffic Police Mohan Dahikar told midday ldquoThere are four aspects we work on The first is raising awareness among the masses through various activities reaching out to motorists on the road and to youth in colleges and making people aware of signage and traffic rules It doesnrsquot matter how many boards you install if a person doesnrsquot know the meaning of it The second aspect is enforcement We are there on the road to make sure that the one who violates rules faces punishment The third is road engineering We identify blackspots and write letters to NHAI to place rumble strips signage boards and other safety provisions We also see if street lights are operational The last one is emergency services Many times people are not even aware of helpline numbers We coordinate with agencies to mobilise those injured in mishaps to make sure they get medical intervention Itrsquos a continuous process and our aim is to bring down fatalityrdquoA senior officer on the condition of anonymity said ldquoLack of knowledge about traffic rules is there but we also need highend road engineering and technologyrdquoMitigation measuresChinchoti Manor and Charoti traffic police stations have submitted separate lists to NHAI suggesting mitigation measures to prevent further accidents on the highwayCharoti Highway Traffic Police in its letter to NHAI stated that they have identified 26 blackspots on the highway under their jurisdiction and recommended that rumble strips blinkers and catrsquos eye or road studs be installed at these spots to help avoid accidents The letter also mentioned that there are a few road crossing junctions on the highway which need to be closed and proper signage needs to be put up informing heavy vehicles to ply on only the extreme left laneThe Manor traffic police station in its letter mentioned that there are 24 blackspots in their jurisdiction and suggested measures specific to each of these locations Apart from installing rumble strips and blinkers Manor traffic cops have also suggested signage informing motorists of sharp turns bridges and permitted speed limit They also added that the median and reflectors need to be cleaned at regular intervals so that signboards and the road periphery are clearly visibleAs per the letter sent to NHAI by the Chinchoti traffic police there are 16 blackspots on the 275km stretch of the highway under their jurisdiction They asked the highway authority to take measures to address these spots32Avg no of mishaps on MumCharoti stretch per month26No of blackspots on the highway that falls under Charoti traffic police station