THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day and the alarming increase in the night time road accidents is turning to be a matter of concern for the road users and the law enforcing agencies.

Collision-type road accidents are more frequent during night time. Drivers do not dip the headlight and a good number of road accidents in the city and suburbs occur due to `glare-blinding', according to an official of the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac). Although rules say that the motorists should dim the lights before they cause glare blinding, it is seldom followed. Rampant misuse of high beam by new generation cars is another major issue faced by night-time travellers.

Ninety per cent of a driver's reaction depends on vision and vision is severely limited at night, according to road safety experts. Unscientifically designed junctions, bad roads, ill-lit roads and reluctance of drivers to dip headlights have compounded the problems faced by those behind wheels.

Night driving also causes fatigue. Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by reduced concentration and slowing reaction time. Studies carried out by Natpac have revealed that alcohol is a leading factor in a number of fatal crashes that took place during the night. More fatal crashes take place on weekend nights than at any other time in the week.

Lighting of minor streets is poor and many stretches have become death traps for nighttime travellers. Of 41,493 road accidents that occurred in the State during 2005, 13,983 occurred during the night. Analysis of the accident data has shown that this comes to thirty-four per cent.

Road accident statistics reveal that night-time accidents in rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram had also gone up to 58 per cent last year. In the capital city, the percentage of road accidents during night went up from 36 per cent in 2005 to 42 per cent in 2006.

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