THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the six-laning of National Highway 66 promises to transform mobility across Kerala, the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has raised a red flag over emerging safety risks on the upgraded corridor, warning that the state’s road users are yet to adapt to a high-speed, multi-lane highway environment.
NATPAC has identified a series of behavioural, operational and design-related concerns along the 678-km long NH66 that could lead to a rise in severe crashes and fatalities once the highway becomes fully operational unless proactive interventions are implemented.
NATPAC director Asha Latha R told TNIE that one of the biggest challenges is that motorists and pedestrians in Kerala are largely unfamiliar with expressway-like conditions. “People in Kerala are not used to high-speed traffic.
There is a general tendency to treat highways like ordinary roads, including crossing them at will. This is the first time the state is experiencing such a high-speed corridor, and adapting road-user behaviour will be critical,” she said.
NATPAC has identified overspeeding as a major concern on stretches already open to traffic. The wider carriageway and improved road geometry have encouraged motorists to drive faster, while many continue to follow driving habits developed on the state’s traditionally congested roads.
Improper lane usage, unsafe lane changes, poor lane discipline and wrong-side driving - particularly by two-wheeler riders seeking to avoid longer detours - have also emerged as significant safety risks.
According to the study, pedestrian safety remains another major challenge owing to Kerala’s dense roadside settlements and commercial development. Despite the controlled-access nature of the corridor, pedestrians continue to cross the highway at undesignated locations, creating dangerous conflict points with fast-moving traffic.
Apart from behavioural issues, NATPAC has expressed concern over the design limitations of several underpasses and access points. Asha Latha said that land acquisition constraints and insufficient right of way in many locations prevented ideal highway design standards from being implemented.
“The Indian Roads Congress guidelines require adequate right of way to ensure sufficient visibility while entering and exiting underpasses. However, land constraints in Kerala meant that some of these standards could not be fully achieved. Many of these locations have the potential to emerge as accident blackspots,” she said.
According to her, motorists exiting underpasses in several locations may be unable to see vehicles on service roads until they have already entered the traffic stream. The risk is likely to be more pronounced at night when vehicles on the main carriageway are travelling at higher speeds.
To address the challenges, NATPAC has proposed a statewide Highway Safety and Behavioural Adaptation Initiative combining driver education, community outreach, safety monitoring and public awareness campaigns.
