COIMBATORE: The public blocked the Pollachi-Palladam road at Kamanaickenpalayam near Sultanpet on Saturday after a truck lost control due to thick rumble strips laid on the road. The truck veered off the road, hitting a parked car, and halted only after ramming into a bakery on the roadside. Locals blocked traffic on the Palladam-Sultanpet road at V Mettur junction near Kamanaickenpalayam, accusing the State Highways department of laying thick rumble strips, which allegedly caused frequent accidents here.
According to sources, the accident occurred around 11 am on Saturday when a truck carrying cardboard boxes was travelling from Palladam to Udumalpet. The driver Suresh (40) was speeding on the four-lane highway and swerved slightly to the left to avoid hitting another vehicle. While his left wheels remained on the smooth road, the right wheels rolled onto the thick rumble strips, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The truck struck a car parked along the road and dragged it for a few metres before coming to a stop after hitting the front of a bakery. A customer Lakshmi (64) sustained leg injuries from a flying stone during the accident.
"The car was completely smashed by the truck, and the front of the shop was also heavily damaged. Fortunately, no casualties were reported," police said.
The public accused the state highways department of laying rumble strips without following regulations in more than 15 places on both sides of the road between Palladam and Sultanpet.
"Specifically, the stretch near Kamanaickenpalayam alone has around six strips. Because they are so thick, vehicles frequently lose control and have accidents. The highways department should either remove these strips or reduce their thickness," the public said.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from the Pollachi division of the state highways department said, "All safety measures have already been taken and implemented on the stretch. Around six rumble strips have been paved at each junction where center medians have been removed to provide an opening as part of safety measures. Motorists need to slow down when they are approaching a junction. Instead, they try to cross it at high speed, which results in accidents."
Following the accident and the protest, highway department officials said, "With six rumble strips painted at each of the junctions, we will be painting a tar mixture between two rumble strips and filling the gaps to reduce the vibrations that the locals have raised concerns about. We have identified 16 such locations and have already completed the work in about five places. The remaining places will also be addressed and completed soon," the official added.