65% drivers admit to breaching speed limit on Expressway: Survey

Sixty-five per cent of car and jeep drivers have admitted to breaching the speed limit of 80 kmph on India's first Expressway connecting Mumbai and Pune. Forty-six per cent of commuters, in the age gap of 18-25 years, admitted to not using seat belts along with 67 per cent of rear seat passengers admitting to not wearing a seat belt while travelling on the expressway.

The above data was revealed after interviews of around 800 commuters using Mumbai-Pune Expressway were conducted to gain insights into perceptions and behaviours of the commuters. The interview was conducted on all categories of vehicles by SaveLife foundation, a NGO that has tied up with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to make Mumbai-Pune Expressway a zero fatality corridor. The insights will be used to suggest countermeasures to improve road safety on the expressway.

The survey states, "Among key reasons cited by the respondents for road crashes and deaths on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, fatigue was most commonly mentioned by heavy vehicle drivers with about 71 per cent multi-axle vehicle drivers and nearly 50 per cent bus and truck drivers reported they feel sleepy or tired during their journey on the expressway. The survey also found out that driving under the influence of alcohol (46 per cent) and speeding (38 per cent) were key perceived factors for crashes."

Further, 69 per cent of all commuters surveyed said that they will be unable to locate themselves on the expressway in case of an emergency. Most alarmingly, only 2.8 per cent of respondents were able to recall the 10-digit MPEW emergency helpline number "98224 98224". Over 50 per cent recalled '108' as the emergency number, which connects to the state-run 108 ambulance service.

As many as 53.3 per cent of commuters suggested increased enforcement at night to improve road safety on the expressway. When asked about strategies to improve enforcement, 40 per cent suggested increased patrolling through day and night as an effective strategy, the survey suggests.

Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, said, "It's quite evident from the study that a significant amount of effort needs to be put into improving enforcement and access to emergency medical care on the expressway. If majority of people remember the state-run 108 as the emergency number, should the expressway not have dedicated 108 ambulances then? Loss of over 100 lives each year is a good enough reason to do so."