Did Highway Hypnosis Kill 26 in Buldhana? News18 Accesses Data, Explains Accident Reason | EXCLUSIVE

As Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde decided to probe multiple mishaps on Samruddhi Mahamarg, News18 found out that ‘sleep hypnosis’ could be one of the main concerns that the state government may need to look into.

Officials News18 spoke to said that the motorists tend to fall asleep because of long, uninterrupted drives on highways. Sleep hypnosis occurs when motorists are continuously driving for hours without any breaks and because of the monotonous route. The driver in most cases zones out, they added.

“This happens on smooth, empty highways. Despite the eyes being open, the driver may feel as if he/she is sleeping. It is a brief disconnect with the outer world. On Samruddhi Mahamarg, there are no hoardings or billboards on the roadsides or hotels/dhabas,” an official explained, adding that even in case of Buldhana bus accident it is suspected that the driver experienced sleep hypnosis.

In April this year, the Maharashtra highway police had promised to put flags of yellow and white colours every half an hour-long stretch, while reflectors were planned to be put place to catch the motorists’ attention and keep their brains busy.

News18 accessed the state highway data that showed 358 accidents took place on Samruddhi Mahamarg between December 2022 and April 2023, of which 39 people were killed, 143 were critically injured and 236 people received minor injuries.

The cause of most of the accidents is said to be highway hypnosis or sleepiness during driving. So far, 98 mishaps have taken place due to sleep hypnosis, while nine have died in such incidents.

Second major cause of deaths on Samruddhi Mahamarg is over-speeding and tyre burst. Between the mentioned period, 68 cases of over-speeding were reported, of which 11 people were killed, 72 wounded and 19 grievously injured. As many as 55 accidents took place due to tyre burst, leaving nine dead.

The opposition was quick to launch an attack on the government in connection with multiple accidents. Calling the expressway “a dream project turned nightmare, NCP spokesperson Mahesh Bharet Tapase said, “The state government should immediately find out what is the reason for the frequent accidents on Samruddhi Mahamarg. People are now afraid to travel on this road.”

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said the situation is shocking. “Over the last year, such accidents have continued on this highway. So far more than 300 migrants have died in it. The government has not planned any measures to prevent accidents. At least the accident in Buldhana should open the eyes of the government. I pay tribute to the unfortunate lives lost in the accident,” he added.