Amid multiple deaths in road accidents in Doon, police claim 21% drop than last year
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Following a series of fatal road accidents in Dehradun district during May and June that claimed several lives and left many injured, concerns have been raised over the apparent rise in road mishaps. Locals have questioned the effectiveness of traffic enforcement, pointing to the frequency of recent incidents. However, Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh has stated that the overall rate of accidents in the district has actually declined compared to the previous year. The SSP said that the data from the first five months of 2025 show that road accidents have decreased by 21 per cent compared to the same period last year. The number of deaths has also reduced from 89 to 70 and injuries have dropped by 27 per cent, from 173 to 126 cases.
He also claimed a significant rise in enforcement action against various types of violations across the district. Singh said that between May 2024 and May 2025, action against cases of drunk driving increased by 381 per cent, dangerous driving cases by 133 per cent, over-speeding cases by 95 per cent and riding without helmets by 102 per cent. There was also a 394 per cent rise in red light jumping, a 923 per cent surge in underage driving, a 181 per cent jump in triple riding cases and a 98 per cent increase in mobile phone use while driving. Singh stated that in 2024, police issued 1.45 lakh challans across Dehradun district and collected over Rs15.15 crore in penalties. In 2025 till May, the police have issued 74,356 challans so far and imposed penalties of Rs 8.87 crore. According to Singh, the police have taken action against over two lakh vehicle drivers for violating traffic rules across the district in the past one and a half years. Despite this, many people continue to ignore traffic norms, contributing to recurring accidents. He added that the police have used various platforms, including social media, to raise awareness about safe driving practices but a general lack of public concern remains a challenge. Singh stated that to address the issue, the police have launched intensified checking campaigns across all police station areas, focusing especially on drunk driving and rash driving. The police teams are using breath analysers at inter-state check posts and conducting sudden checks on incoming vehicles. These measures have been stepped up during the tourist season, when traffic inflow from other states increases significantly. In response to the recent spate of accidents in the past two months, the SSP has directed all police station heads to investigate the causes of each crash and implement measures to prevent further incidents. Singh urged vehicle owners and tourists to cooperate with the ongoing enforcement drive, emphasising that road safety efforts depend on public participation as much as policing.
