SARLAHI, Feb 1: Road accidents have claimed the lives of 29 people and left 190 others seriously injured in Sarlahi district over the past six months of the current fiscal year, police said.
According to Ashok Sah, Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, a total of 641 accidents involving motorcycles and small and large four-wheelers were recorded during the period.
Most of those killed were motorcycle riders or pillion passengers, with accidents occurring more frequently on inner and rural roads, Sah noted. He said violations of traffic rules by drivers as well as pedestrians remain a major cause of accidents in the district.
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To address the issue, traffic police have conducted dozens of road safety awareness programmes, involving schoolchildren, residents, and pedestrians.
During the same six-month period, police collected Rs 4.83 million in revenue by penalising traffic rule violators.
Action was taken against motorists driving without licences, motorcyclists not wearing helmets, vehicles operating without route permits, and trucks carrying loads beyond permitted capacity. Traffic checks were carried out regularly on both the East–West Highway and inner road sections.
Police have also tightened inspections of long-distance passenger buses, enforcing the rule that requires two drivers for such services. Of the 7,027 long-distance buses inspected, 22 were found violating regulations and were penalised, Sah said.