As the number of accidents saw an increase in 2021, the spotlight is on the state of road infrastructure. While the road accident report, brought out by the Police Computer Wing and Crime Records Bureau of the State Police Department, attributed more than 90% of the accidents to speeding, the role of black spots and potholes as contributory factors cannot be ignored.
Commissioner of Transport and Road Safety T.H.M Kumar said across the State, 943 black spots or accident-prone areas were identified, out of which, problems have been fixed at 542 locations.
“In the remaining places, by involving agencies, such as NHAI, PWD and others, that have built the road, measures have been taken to attend to the issues. Correcting engineering faults and erecting signages will be taken up. Other than this, through enforcement activities, creating awareness through various media including social media are done by following traffic rules,” he said.
The report on accidents states that road features, such as sharp curves, potholes, and steep grades, tend to be more accident prone.
Potholes claim 16 lives
In addition, 16 lives were lost owing to potholes last year. A total of 67 cases were reported due to potholes, out of which 23 happened in Belagavi and 15 in Bengaluru city. Four people lost their lives in Bengaluru city and 12 people were injured. In Belagavi, two people had lost their lives.
In the State, fog and mist resulted in 1,987 accidents, claiming the lives of 647 people. The highest number of cases were reported in Bidar, Chickballapur, Hassan, and Belagavi.
DCP West (Traffic) Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain added that on highways, speeding is a prominent reason for accidents. “Sleep deprivation while driving also leads to accidents. In city limits, there is prohibition on the movement of heavy vehicles during the day, whereas on the highways, heavy vehicles and other personal vehicles use the road. If the drivers follow all the safety norms at their level, accidents can be reduced to a great extent”.
In Bengaluru, Ballari Road that connects Kempegowda International Airport, Tumakuru Road, and Hosur Road are known to be accident prone.
But the report added that what is most significant is that in 2021, accidents, deaths, and persons killed on account of speeding, drunken driving, lane indiscipline, jumping red lights all show a decreasing trend due to the pandemic and imposing of lockdown.
