Andhra Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of topping the crime chart with regard to the cases of driving and causing accidents under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the year 2014 in the country. But the top police officials say that the figures stated by the NCRB are flawed.

As per the statistics released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), the number of cases booked stand at 1,630. In the cases the number of injured was 1,662 and fatalities were 387.

Out of the 1,630 cases, Vijayawada tops with 1,553 cases resulting in injuries to 1,578 persons and death of 335 and Visakhapatnam takes the second spot with 34 cases in which 31 persons were injured and seven killed.

The national figure in this category stands at 7,108 cases (injuries to 7,200 persons and fatalities 2,558).

Disputing the figures produced by the NCRB, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) K. Mahendra Patrudu has said there are many categories when it comes to road accidents such as accidents due to dangerous and careless driving, overtaking and overspeeding.

The NCRB appears to have taken all cases under driving and causing accidents under the influence of alcohol and drugs, instead of segregating them, especially in the case of Vijayawada, says Mr. Mahendra Patrudu.

As per the NCRB statistics, the cases under accidents due to dangerous and careless driving, overtaking and overspeeding show a nil figure for Vijayawada, which is not possible.

But in the case of Visakhapatnam, it gives different statistics. It segregated the cases.

The total cases booked under dangerous and careless driving stand at 139 (injuries to 162 persons and 20 fatalities).

Similarly for overspeeding it shows total cases of 921 in which 950 persons were injured and 268 killed). This clearly indicates the anomaly, says Mr. Mahendra Patrudu.

According to Mr. Kinjarapu Prabhakar, ACP (traffic), the actual figures both in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada could be a little on the higher side than recorded by the state Central Crime Record Bureau (CCRB), because to curb drunken driving, we have booked many of the cases under IPC Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and IPC Section 304 A (Causing death by negligence), instead of booking them under IPC Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), the regular section for drunken driving.

The NCRB appears to have taken all cases under driving and causing accidents under the influence of alcohol instead of segregating them

K. Mahendra Patrudu

ADCP (traffic)