3 of 4 behind TN mishaps hold licence

Chennai

According to the Road Accidents in India 2019 report released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, three out of every four accidents involved drivers with a valid driving licence in the State.

“Vehicles driven by untrained and unqualified drivers are a serious traffic hazard and can cause accidents, death and injuries. Though the problem is basically an enforcement issue, it must also be addressed with better facilities and opportunities for training/skilling and evaluation/testing,” said the report.

As per the report, of the 3.23 lakh accidents across the country, Tamil Nadu accounts for 57,228 accidents. In Tamil Nadu, 42,827 accidents involve drivers with valid licence while 1,249 are by the those with leaner’s licence. As many as 9,479 accidents involved drivers without a licence.

At the national level, road accidents involving drivers without a valid driving licence increased from 37,585 in 2018 to 44,358 in 2019, registering an increase of 18 per cent and accounted for 9.9 per cent of the total accidents. The accidents without a valid driving licence and with learner’s licence account for 14.8 per cent of accidents.

A senior transport official said various steps were being taken to ensure that licence was being issued to qualified applicants. “Soon the RTOs will get the driving simulator to test the driving skills of licence applicants,” he said.