THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Accidents caused by drink driving are not uncommon in the district. According to Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA), 3,142 drink driving cases were recorded in June, 3,545 in May and 2,726 in April. This comes under the spotlight again in view of the accident that caused the death of journalist KM Basheer. The police have registered a case against the suspended IAS officer, Sriram Venkitaraman, on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash and negligent driving in an intoxicated state.
As per the statistics provided by the Crime Records Bureau, 2,306 road accidents were reported in 2018 in the district and over 1,500 accidents till June this year. According to statistics provided by the KRSA, 40,181 road accidents were reported in the state last year. Up to June this year, 21,515 accidents were reported.
Besides, the KRSA data under the Motor Vehicles Act show that of the 3,142 cases registered against drink driving in June, 1,839 cases were under city limits and 1,303 under rural limits. Even after several awareness campaigns carried out by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and the police, the latest accident shows that most people don't heed to road rules.
“Road accidents have been increasing at an alarming rate in the district. During inspections, enforcement squads have found cases of violations such as driving without helmet and seat belt and speaking on the phone. In the coming days, we are planning to enforce the rules strictly so that accidents can be reduced,” said Joint Road Transport Commissioner Rajeev Puthalath.
As part of the Road Safety Action Plan, MVD and the police started conducting thorough vehicle inspections across the state, which will continue till August 31. The move is taken to reduce accidents and consequent death rates. According to MVD officials, the rules will be implementted step by step. Inspections have been categorised and scheduled for different dates.
The rising vehicle density is also a cause of the increasing number of road accidents reported. “Though the violators are fined and punished, some people are still reckless on roads which results in major accidents,” said an enforcement squad officer.Joint inspections are also carried out to impose fines on vehicles parked at 'No Parking' zones. The officials will also take action against vehicles parked on both sides of the road where there is a median opening. And the licences of drivers caught for speeding under the influence of alcohol will be suspended.
The Safe Kerala Project of MVD's enforcement wing and the government, which aimed at reducing road accidents and ensuring speedy medical attention to victims, will also be implemented soon. Furthermore, cameras with Artificial Intelligence will be installed in the city to give an accurate visual at the time of an accident.