In the previous post on how the media (Tamil and English) covers road accidents, we looked at the kind of details provided, and sensationalism in the articles. This post, based on 104 of the 181 Tamil and English media reports that were published between January and April 2016, analyses reportage on the causes of accidents, geography (rural vs urban), and road user behaviour.

Causes of accidents

            The WHO ‘Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015’ states that nearly 1.25 million people around the world die each year due to road traffic accidents.^[1] Developing countries like India account for almost 90% of such accidents.^[2] Recognizing that road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in several countries, the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety