Kerala   

Good roads equally important PEoplespeak

— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Congestion: Professional traffic management needed.

Change mindset

The increasing number of accidents on the roads is finally making us sit up and take notice. Helmets and seat belts are meant to protect during accidents. The stress should rather be on preventing such situations developing in the first place. Most of the accidents in the State occur because people think it is normal to flout rules. We need to change our mindsets about road usage. There should enforcement of existing rules. Awarding penalty points for violations should be introduced.

Traffic rules and road safety should be made part of the school curriculum. Children should be taught that it is not ‘cool’ to drive in a negligent manner.

The Government should be accountable. When badly maintained roads cause accidents the State is to be blamed.

Dr. Asha and Dr. Kishore Raikar

Kollam

The effort of the authorities to enforce the use of helmet and seat belts is quite commendable. There are certain precautionary measures that are more important as they can prevent the occurrence of accidents.

There should be strict checks on the road to ensure that vehicles are in good condition.

Speed monitoring devices should be installed. Drunken driving should be curbed. Proper maintenance of roads should be ensured.

Ninan Thomas

Thiruvananthapuram

The use of helmet or seat belt alone cannot ensure safety. Other measures are required to minimise the casualties. There is an exponential increase in the number of vehicles on our roads. The pitiable condition of roads requires urgent attention. During rainy seasons, the roads are virtual death traps. Above all, road users should refine their road sense. Many accidents occur due to recklessness.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

Kilikollur

Insistence on helmet, seat belt and punitive action for drunken driving are all good and necessary for road safety. But bad roads, lack of footpaths and rash driving are the major causes of road accidents. Successive Governments are blissfully ignorant of the many traffic safeguards on our roads and they merrily go on collecting road tax without any improvement on the road safety front.

Nobody seems to bother about the lurking dangers on our highways and not even danger signals are displayed near open manholes. No lessons are learnt. Road tax collected from the public should not be diverted. It should be spent on repairing roads.

K.P. Karunarakan Nair

Thiruvananthapuram

Authorities should focus on more real issues. Preference must be given to repairing roads. These should be maintained with a long term vision. Drivers should not adopt a careless style of driving. Many people find it difficult to use helmets due genuine inconveniences and health problems. The authorities should take note of these as well. Personal safety is more the concern of the individual.

A.K. Sivakumar

Thiruvananthapuram

Most of the roads in our State are not suitable for fast driving.

Speed restrictions should be strictly followed. Over loading should never be permitted. Overtaking should be done only at permitted zones. Departments that dig roads should also ensure that the stretches are repaired. Certain small steps like these can ensure the safety of road users to a great extent.

N. Ramachandran

Vakkom

Much ink has been spent on debating the issue of road accidents.

The underlying causes – over speeding, drunken driving, bad roads, general traffic indiscipline – are known to the Government as well as the public.

Considering the very low level of compliance with the traffic rules, only a strict and sustained enforcement of the regulations will make a perceptible impact in bringing down the number of accidents on roads.

The traffic wing of the police in the State has to be strengthened.

More men and equipment should be provided. Errant motorist should be punished in an exemplary and deterrent manner.

Individual motorists should obey the law and respect the rights of other road users.

V.N. Mukundarajan

Thiruvananthapuram

Wearing helmets or seat belts ensures some sort of. Following road rules is essential to reduce accidents. Another main cause of accidents is the sorry state of our roads. In a city like Delhi, the law holds good as the roads are good. There should be an integrated approach to address the issue. Coordination between departments is necessary.

Vaishnav A. Nair

Thiruvananthapuram

The argument that helmets for two-wheeler riders and seat belts in the front seats of cars would ensure safety cannot be accepted.

It has to be remembered that our roads are good only for bullock carts and horse driven carriages.

Our roads are in a bad shape. Also, our roads cannot stand the exponential increase in the number of vehicles. Our planners and decision makers should work towards tackling the real issues.

S.R.K. Rasalam

Thiruvananthapuram

Helmets are a must for two-wheeler riders. The Government should the availability of quality helmets.

All vehicle sellers should be directed to provide helmets to customers free of cost. But the most important thing is to ensure proper maintenance of roads.

S.N. Pillai

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