Cops to study why global events invite accidents

New Delhi: The Delhi police has undertaken a study to ascertain why there are more road accidents in the national capital during important global events like the recent Solar Alliance Summit, according to a police officer.

The police was prompted to take up the study after more than 20 road accidents were reported between March 10 and 12 when a large number of personnel were drawn from different traffic zones and deployed in Lutyen’s Delhi and south Delhi to ensure hassle-free movement of dignitaries for the March 11 International Solar Alliance Summit.

The capital had hosted dignitaries from 23 nations for the summit co-hosted by India and France at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“The Delhi Traffic Police has undertaken a study to ascertain the cause of this phenomenon,” the officer said. The traffic police has a strength of over 5,500 personnel.

During the three days, March 10 to 12, personnel were drawn from other traffic ranges apart from the central and south ranges and deployed for VVIP movement, he said.

Personnel had “hectic shifts” at that time and it is being studied whether the shortage of staff in other areas of Delhi and the packed schedule were responsible for the high number of accidents, the officer said.

“We usually see a spike in the number of accidents when there are conferences,” he said.

“The study will help us understand whether deployment of force for such events in Lutyen’s Delhi impacts safety of motorists and pedestrians in other areas,” the officer said.

On the intervening night of March 10 and 11, two college students were killed and three others injured after a woman crashed here car into a divider in northwest Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar.

On March 11, three persons died in two separate road accidents in Dwarka and two others died after their vehicle was hit by a car in Dhul Siras.