NH-44 Stretch Fatalities Attributed To Golden Hour Delays

Crash data compiled under the Zero Fatality Corridor Programme by SaveLIFE Foundation shows that the stretch recorded 742 road crashes between January 2023 and October 31, 2025. Of these, 328 were fatal, resulting in 363 deaths — highlighting the continued risk faced by highway users despite improved enforcement and awareness measures.

In 2023, the stretch reported 271 crashes and 143 fatalities. This fell to 217 crashes and 93 fatalities between January and October 2025. Officials tracking the corridor note that while the year-on-year reduction is significant, the absolute fatality count remains high for a single highway segment carrying heavy inter-state traffic.

Road safety experts point to repeated delays during the “golden hour” — the first hour after a crash — as a major factor behind avoidable deaths. Victims often reach hospitals without timely airway support, bleeding control or stabilisation, reducing survival chances even when injuries are treatable.

Community health centres along highways are meant to serve as the first point of trauma response. Yet many lack essential equipment and trained personnel to manage severe injuries, leading to referrals without stabilisation and loss of critical time during transport to tertiary hospitals.

Against this backdrop, the Community Health Centre at Dichpally in Nizamabad district has been upgraded with trauma care resources. The intervention includes equipment for airway management, breathing support, haemorrhage control and emergency resuscitation, aimed at improving stabilisation before referral.

Dr Shiva Shankar, medical superintendent at CHC Dichpally, stressed the importance of early intervention. “Many deaths can be prevented if patients receive proper care immediately after a crash,” he said. The upgrade forms part of road safety interventions under the Zero Fatality Corridor Programme.