Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Dec 15, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
The ever-increasing volume of traffic has become a challenge for law enforcers, says R. Rajaram It was yet another accident on the Tiruchi-Chennai Highway on Friday, when a lorry collided against a van near Siruganur, killing a driver. Just a week ago, three persons were killed in a van-lorry collision at Nedungur, not very far away. The very next day, 30 passengers of two buses were injured in another accident at the same place. In all, four deaths have been reported within a span of 10 days on the stretch of the highway falling under Siruganur Police Station. Over-speeding, reckless and drunken driving, the main reasons for accidents, remains a cause of concern for law-enforcers, notwithstanding their efforts at sensitising the people on safe driving. Statistics for 2007 presents a disturbing picture with the number of fatalities till November this year already equalling the casualty figure reported in the previous year. Of the 1,331 road accidents reported till November, 298 were fatal ones claiming the lives of 337 persons. (The previous calendar year witnessed 306 fatal cases with 337 casualties). Police sources say 140 fatal accidents were reported on the national highways in the district so far. Non-fatal accidents on national highways have exceeded 750. The figures pertain only to the accidents in the Tiruchi Rural police limits. The ever-increasing volume of traffic over the years has become a challenge for the law enforcers. Overtaking at full speed and reckless driving are the major causes for most of the accidents on highways, says Superintendent of Police, Tiruchi Rural, N. Rajasekaran. Though efforts have been intensified to check accidents on highways, the police say that the onus is equally on the drivers who should be more safety conscious, careful and alert. The Highway Patrol teams in the different stretches of the national highways have launched a crackdown against drunken driving cases and overspeeding. To strengthen enforcement measures, police have now started recommending temporary suspension of the licences of drivers who were guilty of drunken driving and those who had caused fatal accidents. The Tiruchi Rural police have recommended the cancellation of driving licences of 156 persons and permits of 12 vehicles. Sources said licences of 24 persons and the permit of a vehicle have been temporarily suspended. Fatal accidents are being viewed seriously with Regional Transport Officers, the Highways Department and the Inspector of the police station concerned being instructed to visit the accident spot and jointly submit a report to the government. The police have forwarded proposals for adding three more highway patrol teams in the district to the existing four. The new patrols are planned to be deployed on No.1 Tollgate-Thottiyam, Jeeyapuram- Kulithalai and Kollidam-Lalgudi road stretches, the sources say. “We are doing our best to check accidents,” says Mr.Rajasekaran, expressing hope that the four-laning of highways, currently under progress in various sectors, would bring down the accident rate.
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