Out of that, four districts, including Angul, Sambalpur, Deogarh, and Jharsuguda, reported 135 accidents due to ‘hit from back,' resulting in 67 fatalities.State transport department on Sunday launched a special enforcement drive to tackle the growing problem of unauthorised parking and abandoned vehicles on roads.
The drive aims to reduce accidents caused by collisions with stationary vehicles, which have become a significant safety concern. Road accident data from 2021 to 2023 indicates that the state recorded 2,124 accidents caused by vehicles parked illegally or left unattended on roads. These accidents resulted in 873 fatalities and numerous injuries, underscoring the urgent need for action.
Out of that, four districts, including Angul, Sambalpur, Deogarh, and Jharsuguda, reported 135 accidents due to ‘hit from back,' resulting in 67 fatalities.
As per the transport authority, enforcement teams will identify and remove vehicles parked unlawfully or abandoned on public roads. Officials said that this measure is critical to ensuring safer roadways for motorists and pedestrians alike.
"The alarming number of accidents due to parked vehicles highlights the negligence in adhering to traffic rules. Unauthorised parking not only disrupts traffic flow but also poses a serious threat to road safety," said Lalmohan Sethi, additional commissioner, State Transport Authority.
He added that as the winter season has already arrived in the state, fog becomes a serious threat to motorists during the night. "RTOs have been notified, and the drive began on Sunday and will continue till January 14 next year. The driving licence of the driver abandoning a vehicle in a public place causing inconvenience to other road users will be disqualified, and a penalty will be imposed on offenders while clearing roads of unattended vehicles," said Sethi,
Strict penalties, including fines and towing charges, will be imposed on violators to deter such behaviour, said the transport authority.
