Kerala - Kochi   

Slack rule enforcement major cause of accidents

KOCHI: Slack enforcement of traffic rules has resulted in a high incidence of road accidents in the State. The Motor Vehicles Department and the Police claim that shortage of manpower has affected their work.

led to causing a literal bloodbath on Kerala roads.

An average of 3,500 people a year are killed (the State has the highest accident and fatality rate in the country per 100 vehicles) in road accidents. This has raised demands that the two departments become pro-active in booking rule-violators. Very often, officials of the two agencies are content with booking people on the charge of not possessing the mandatory records or not wearing helmets and seat-belts. Reckless drivers and ill-maintained vehicles escape the dragnet of law.

The accident at Pothanikkad, near Kothamangalam, on Thursday, claiming seven lives, is a pointer to how careless driving can have extremely serious consequences. Accidents involving tipper-lorries, goods carriers and tanker lorries account for a majority of fatal cases.

The Motor Vehicles Department has 400 Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVI) and Assistant MVIs who carry out field duty. This number was fixed 20 years ago, when the vehicle population was less than a quarter of the present number of 40 lakh. “We can reduce accidents by half, if there is one inspector for every 5,000 vehicles. At present, the 400 inspectors carry out field duty only after completing their office work. This despite an average of five lakh vehicles taking to the roads each year,” said Alex Paul, secretary of the State Transport Authority.

Most regional transport offices have no official vehicle. The department carries out special drives in accident-prone stretches, but only once in a while. The speed radars (to gauge whether vehicles cross the speed limit) in many of the department’s vehicles are in a state of disrepair.

The department’s sole state-of-the-art vehicle (called Interceptor) fitted with speed radar has to carry out enforcement work in all 14 districts of the State.

Though circulars were issued to all regional offices to suspend or cancel the driving licence of those who caused death by rash and negligent driving, this has hardly been a deterrent.

Mr. Paul said punitive measures such as imprisonment would deter drivers from taking the law into their hands. As of now, a driver charged in an accident case only has to confess before the court and pay a fine of Rs. 1,500. Courts give bail to even those who cause multiple deaths. This despite the Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules specifying up to six months imprisonment for offenders and longer term for repeated offence. After a few years, even close relatives of the victim do not pursue the case and are content with getting the insurance amount. Road-safety experts say drivers’ error is the main reason for accidents in Kerala, followed by inadequate and unscientific road infrastructure.

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