Panchkula: More than three accidents every four days and 87 lives lost so far this year. Police figures paint a grim picture of road safety in Panchkula, where 207 accidents have been reported up to Sept 23, leaving more than 180 people injured. The spate of accidents has put the spotlight on the risks faced by motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders.Sept saw a particularly alarming spell of fatal crashes. Between Sept 4 and 23 alone, 12 road accidents claimed 15 lives and left 12 people injured at different locations across the district, including major highways, intersections and stretches connecting residential and rural areas.The Sept crashes involved motorcycles, scooters, cars, trucks and other commercial vehicles. In several cases, victims were travelling only short distances when they met with fatal accidents. The incidents included collisions between heavy vehicles and two-wheelers, vehicles hitting riders from behind or at crossings, and vehicles losing control on the road.According to available accident details, overspeeding, hit-and-run incidents and driving on the wrong side of the road have emerged as some of the major factors behind the crashes. Two-wheeler riders continue to form a significant proportion of those killed. Even in cases where riders were wearing helmets, the impact of high-speed collisions proved fatal.717 lives lost in 1,782 accidents since 2020Long-term accident figures underline the scale of the problem. From 2020 to Sept 23, 2026, Panchkula recorded 1,782 road accidents that claimed 717 lives. The district recorded 178 accidents and 72 deaths in 2020. In 2021, there were 243 accidents and 111 deaths, followed by 263 accidents and 110 deaths in 2022. In 2023, 235 accidents claimed 102 lives. The number of accidents increased substantially in 2024, when 343 crashes were reported and 107 people lost their lives.In 2025, Panchkula recorded 313 road accidents and 128 deaths, the highest annual fatality count during the period covered by available data. In comparison, 2026 has so far recorded 207 accidents and 87 deaths. DCP Amrinder Singh said, “We are holding road safety traffic campaigns and nakas to curb road accidents. We have also identified accident-prone areas and recommended road engineering changes or rectifications. The road safety committee headed by the deputy commissioner is taking care of those rectifications.”
