Coimbatore surpassed Chennai in road accident deaths in 2023, with over 1,000 fatalities, emphasizing the need for better access to government emergency care facilities and stricter traffic rules enforcement.
Coimbatore: Coimbatore has overtaken Chennai as the district with the highest number of road accident deaths in Tamil Nadu, reporting more than 1,000 fatalities in 2023. Chennai, which was previously at the top of the state's accident chart, recorded half as many deaths, positioning it in the 15th place. Despite an equal number of accidents reported in both districts, the higher death toll in Coimbatore is attributed to the lack of adequate government emergency care facilities and less stringent enforcement of traffic rules.
The report points out that Coimbatore's outskirts, where one major government-run tertiary care center (Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and ESI) is located, are in desperate need of more ambulance services to expedite the transport of accident victims to these facilities. This shortfall is in contrast to Chennai's four government medical college hospitals which provide more comprehensive emergency care services to its residents.
Health authorities have acknowledged that the Emergency Care Centers (ECCs) on Chennai’s outskirts have been instrumental in saving lives, with a success rate of 92% for patients admitted for stabilisation before being transferred for further treatment. In terms of traffic law enforcement, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) actively book 180-200 cases daily for bikers not wearing helmets, a practice that has significantly reduced fatalities due to non-compliance to 45 in the last year, compared to the previous year’s statistics.
The need for increased traffic law enforcement and improved emergency healthcare infrastructure in Coimbatore is clear if the district hopes to reduce the number of road accident fatalities and enhance the safety of its residents.
The report points out that Coimbatore's outskirts, where one major government-run tertiary care center (Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and ESI) is located, are in desperate need of more ambulance services to expedite the transport of accident victims to these facilities. This shortfall is in contrast to Chennai's four government medical college hospitals which provide more comprehensive emergency care services to its residents.
Health authorities have acknowledged that the Emergency Care Centers (ECCs) on Chennai’s outskirts have been instrumental in saving lives, with a success rate of 92% for patients admitted for stabilisation before being transferred for further treatment. In terms of traffic law enforcement, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) actively book 180-200 cases daily for bikers not wearing helmets, a practice that has significantly reduced fatalities due to non-compliance to 45 in the last year, compared to the previous year’s statistics.
The need for increased traffic law enforcement and improved emergency healthcare infrastructure in Coimbatore is clear if the district hopes to reduce the number of road accident fatalities and enhance the safety of its residents.