KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday expressed concern on overspeeding and road safety in the wake of the Nedumbassery Mini Cooper accident that killed three youngsters recently.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar asked the State Government and Transport Department authorities whether the existing traffic cameras could detect vehicles travelling at excessive speeds and whether mechanisms were in place to initiate immediate action against traffic violations.
The Bench pointed out that after midnight, several high-performance cars come out on the roads in Ernakulam and are driven at speeds exceeding 100–150 kmph. “We want practical solutions on how to tackle this issue, not a formal counter affidavit.”
The court pointed out that the boy was riding at 200 kilometres per hour and the AI camera has spotted it. There should have been a mechanism to intercept the vehicle. “If a particular person drives at 220 kilometres per hour, will you inform them? Is there any module for that?”, the court asked the government and directed the authorities to provide details of overspeeding violations detected during the past two months, particularly vehicles travelling above 150 kmph, and explain whether the information was forwarded to the authorities for action.
The court pointed out that high-powered cars were travelling at speeds of 100–150 kmph or more on Ernakulam roads after midnight, raising concerns about drivers’ ability to control such vehicles.
The Court called for the appointment of an expert team to devise a more effective system.
The Bench further asked how long it would take to establish an integrated monitoring system for road safety and whether assistance could be sought from the Kerala State IT Mission or other technical agencies.
Explanations were also sought on the absence of lane markings on national highways, lack of traffic discipline, the functioning of district road safety committees and corrective measures being implemented at accident-prone locations.
The authorities were directed to examine the recommendations contained in the Court’s September 24 order on road safety and submit their views and practical suggestions within 10 days.