THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police are yet to identify the exact nature of the accident that led to the mysterious death of journalist SV Pradeep, which took place at Karakkamandapam near Nemom. However. the incident throws light on widespread traffic violations in the city. Motorists exceeding speed limits and jumping lanes is everyday news in the city. TNIE takes a look at the rise in the number of road accidents due to traffic violations in the city in the last two years.
Though the city police have been strictly enforcing laws and conducting special awareness drives to curb traffic violation, there is no dip in the number of accidents. Compared to last year, there is a negligible decline in the number of accidents between April and May, owing to the lockdown and unavailability of liquor.
As per District Crime Records Bureau statistics, a total of 979 accidents have been recorded till September in the city limit while 51 people died in the mishaps. Last year, 1,995 accidents were reported in which 205 deaths were reported. In 2018, 2,306 accidents were reported, in which 199 people died.
According to Divya V Gopinath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, Law and Order), efforts are on to curb traffic violation. “We have introduced an e-challan system for imposing penalties. Apart from this, we are checking lane discipline followed on the NH bypass from Kovalam to Kazhakootam,” she said. According to the city traffic police officers, a majority of vehicles involved in accidents are light motor vehicles, especially two-wheelers driven by youngsters.
The squads appointed by RTO conduct regular inspections after 8pm to check road accidents and ensure victims receive medical attention within the 'golden hour'. But these squads are rarely frequent now. The police have erected barricades at various points in the city. Nevertheless, youngsters find ways to dodge the hurdles.
‘Poor lighting and bad roads to be blamed
Meanwhile, motorists blamed authorities for the accidents. They cite pothole-filled roads and bad lighting as the main reasons. "Many accidents take place during the night. The lack of proper street lights and absence of signage make driving very difficult. For instance, there are no streetlights on the newly developed NH bypass. This puts motorists at risk in the late hours. Apart from the enforcement drive, the authorities should give importance to maintaining roads," said Rahul MS, a techie working in Technopark.
High risk spots identified
The Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) had earlier prepared a report identifying high-priority black spots in the city. A place is said to be a black spot if five accidents causing fatalities or injuries or 10 fatalities have been reported in a 500-metre distance. Out of the 341 black spots, 65 are located in the city. Karamana, Killippalam, Overbridge, Palayam, Kaimanam, Kesavadasapuram, Sreekariyam, Muttathara, Attingal and Pettah are part of the list. The black spots were identified based on the data from 2016 to 2018.