Booze, speed killed 70k last year Maha Tops List In Deaths Due To Speeding, Guj Saw More Fatal Mishaps Than In ’10

New Delhi: Drunk driving and speeding continue to be the major causes for road accidents and fatalities, claiming around 70,000 lives last year.      Speeding claimed 59,923 lives last year in comparison to 56,203 in 2010, whereas driving under the influence of alcohol claimed 10,553 lives in 2011.      Maharashtra is on top of the heap for maximum number of fatalities due to speeding, according to road accident data released by the transport research wing of the highways ministry. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat reported more fatal accidents last year in comparison to 2010. In Gujarat, there were 500 more deaths due to speeding in 2011. The figure stood at 4,898 in 2010.      "Cases of speeding leading to fatal accidents are on the rise in Gujarat. This could be due to significant improvement in almost all the roads across the state. Senior engineers from the state had also raised this issue seeking immediate measures to slowdown traffic," said a ministry official.      In case of accidents caused due to intake of alcohol/drugs, UP topped the list, registering a fourfold spurt in fatalities in comparison to 2010. At least 4,635 died in the country's largest state, and 4,706 accidents were caused, due to drunk driving.      UP also overtook many southern states in the number of total road fatalities — 21,512 lives were lost in 2011 against 15,175 in 2010. Barring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Bihar, almost all other states registered more fatalities.      The highways ministry report, which for the first time came out with an analysis of accidents classified according to educational qualification, shows that 35% of all accidents across the country were caused by drivers who have completed matriculation and above, while 19% accidents were caused by those who have studied upto class VIII. Now, passing class VIII is the minimum qualification required to obtain a driving licence.      "The government had revised the minimum educational qualification for drivers of all categories of vehicles so that they should be able to read the material on traffic norms and basics of driving while undergoing training. However, nothing has been done to ensure that driving licence applicants undergo proper training," said S P Singh of the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training, an advocacy group.