Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20 -- Over the last seven months, Odisha witnessed 3,717 deaths in road accidents, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The statistics were disclosed in response to a query from BJD legislator Arun Sahoo. Jena revealed that out of 6,327 recorded accidents, there were 3,717 fatalities, while 3,401 individuals sustained severe injuries.

Key contributors to this alarming trend include reckless driving. Specifically, speeding was responsible for 918 deaths. A further 1,052 fatalities resulted from negligent driving, and 46 accidents involved drivers who were under the influence of alcohol.

Minister Jena also highlighted that an additional 4,677 deaths were caused in the Stat...