Vijayawada, May 19: About 40 per cent of road accidents are taking place in Krishna district between 5 pm and 8 pm, according to a study conducted by the GVK 108 Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI).
The three hours when vehicular traffic is at its peak on roads, are crucial for the EMRI.
On an average, the EMRI attends to 152 medical emergencies a day. The EMRI call centre gets 30 phone calls pertaining to road accidents a day. Half of the calls are received between 5 pm and 8 pm.
It is very difficult for the EMRI to shift the victims from the accident spot to the nearby hospital within the golden hour due to heavy traffic on roads during the peak hours.
Despite the odds, the EMRI ambulances attend to 97 per cent of calls.
Sometimes, the EMRI is not able to attend to medical emergencies that happen during the crucial hours.
Speaking to Express, EMRI regional manager M Sudhakar said traffic was at its peak between 5 pm and 8 pm as it is the time for schoolchildren, college students and office employees to return home.
It is also the time for households to do shopping. On weekends and holidays, it is the time for family members to go for an outing.
The steep increase in vehicle population is also a major factor for the rise in road mishap rate, he said.
Concurring with views expressed by the EMRI regional manager, traffic ACP AV Ramana said vehicular traffic on roads was at its peak between 5 pm and 8 pm.
Hence, the chances of road accidents are quite high. If motorists strictly abide by traffic norms, the road accidents can be prevented, the ACP said.
–Agencies