The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Road accidents on the rise in city

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Road accidents on the rise in city

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JAN. 6. R oad accidents are on the rise in the city, the Police Commissioner, R. Nataraj said here today.

Addressing journalists at his weekly briefing, Mr. Nataraj said the number of road accidents had risen from 3,698 in 2003 to 4,500 last year, with a corresponding increase in fatalities — 567 deaths in 2003 as opposed to 587 deaths in 2004.

Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians accounted for 60 per cent of the road accidents.

This year, the traffic police would take steps to cut the number of road accidents and fatalities by 20 per cent, the Commissioner said.

He listed several measures planned to reduce the incidence of accidents.

For instance, pedestrian crossings will be marked every half-a-kilometre on the roads.

Automatic traffic signals had been installed at 145 junctions in the city last year.

Light emitting diode signals had been installed at 90 junctions and the rest will be upgraded this year.

The traffic police would also install automatic signals at 56 new junctions in the city, Mr. Nataraj said.

In order to provide immediate medical attention during the "golden hour", a meeting was convened with representatives from 76 hospitals who agreed to participate in the ambulance-networking programme for better utilisation of the 261 ambulances available with private hospitals and non-government organisations.

The city police have seized narcotic drug vials worth Rs. 10 lakhs in the international market, which were on their way to Kerala. A team led by T.S. Lakshminathan, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, conducted a check at Perambur, which resulted in the seizure.

M. Gopalakrishnan of Vyasarpadi, who police said bought the contraband from a seller in Andhra Pradesh, was produced before a court and remanded to 15 days in judicial custody.

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