Naidu orders third-party audits for all road accidents in AP
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday instructed officials to introduce third-party audits for every road accident in Andhra Pradesh. He said the audits should identify whether the cause was a vehicle defect, driver error, or a road engineering issue.
At the Road Safety Council meeting held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister reviewed the latest accident statistics. Andhra Pradesh has recorded 15,462 accidents this year, resulting in 6,433 deaths. The State stands eighth in the country in accident-related fatalities. Calling the situation a serious concern, he asked departments to strengthen enforcement of road safety rules and speed limits.
Mr. Naidu directed officials to make speed governors compulsory in all transport vehicles and said the government may extend the requirement to non-transport vehicles. He also ordered the installation of CCTV cameras at 500-metre intervals on national and State highways. These systems will be linked to RTGS and monitored through a dedicated vehicle-tracking control room. He warned that vehicles found over speeding would be seized and set a three-month deadline to implement speed-control measures.
Officials informed him that over speeding caused 79 percent of the accidents, while wrong-side driving, alcohol consumption, and mobile phone use contributed about one percent each. They added that 53 percent of fatalities involved self-accidents by two-wheelers and cars. They also reported the seizure of 134 illegally modified all-India tourist buses.
Mr. Naidu instructed departments to correct 680 identified black spots, install crash barriers, improve pedestrian infrastructure, and update road markings. He sought firm action against illegal vehicle modifications, including unauthorised sleeper bus conversions. He also directed the integration of 108 and highway ambulance services to improve emergency response and asked officials to encourage Good Samaritans who help accident victims.
The Chief Minister announced that the third Sunday of November will be observed as Road Safety Day and called for wide public awareness campaigns with the participation of celebrities and elected representatives.
Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, and senior officials attended the meeting.