KURNOOL: The New Year started on a bloody note in the district with accidents taking place continuously for the past four days killing over 20 persons. Even on Thursday morning, two persons died and two others were injured in different road accidents at two places. On the first day of the year, two youths belonging to Ranga Reddy district, died after their car hit a lorry at Sirivella mandal headquarters. The same day, two others died in road mishaps at two different places in the district.
The following day, seven persons died at three different places, and on the third i.e., Wednesday, seven farm workers died at Aspari railway gate after the tyre of a mini-lorry in which they were travelling burst suddenly and it overturned. Ninety per cent of road accidents happen due to lack of road safety awareness and non-adherence to traffic norms. No awareness camps on road safety are being held by the Transport Department in the district despite the rise in mishaps.
The district has four main routes which claim at least 50 lives in over 150 accidents in a month on an average.Negligence, careless driving and lack of knowledge of traffic rules are the main cause of road accidents. And another cause is lack of coordination among the departments concerned. NHAI, R&B, Forest, Medical and Health and Police Departments do not coordinate with one another.