CHENNAI: Concerned over road accidents involving schoolchildren, the State Government has set up a committee to analyse and suggest ways to prevent the recurrence of such mishaps.

Headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Chennai, Sunil Kumar, the road safety task force committee will review the causes of accidents involving schoolchildren, analyse them and suggest measures and also consider other aspects of road safety of children, sources said. The panel consists of representatives from Transport department, the Chennai Corporation and parents of the children. The first meeting of the committee will be held in the next few days. The committee has been requested to submit its report in three months. Based on its recommendations, further action would be taken.

The sources said the State Government was concerned over road accidents, particularly those in which schoolchildren were involved and the appointment of the committee was part of efforts to take safety measures. The formation of the committee was decided at a meeting held a month ago to discuss safety of schoolchildren, in which Education, Transport and the Police departments and Corporation officials, representatives of school managements and parents participated.

Another decision taken at the meeting was that road safety committees at the district-level should meet more frequently.

About 53,000 accidents occurred and 9,760 persons died on the roads last year. Recently, the State police headquarters instructed officers to enforce effectively the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

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