Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Two-wheeler accidents on the rise in the city

Thiruvananthapuram: Road accidents involving young two-wheeler riders have been on the rise in the city. Most of the accidents were owing to speeding and reckless driving, according to the police. Most of the injured riders did not wear helmets.

The police said a section of youth raced their modified motorbikes on certain road segments in the city at night. The speedsters mostly favoured the Injackal-Vallakadavu road, Injackal-Chakka national highway by pass, Vellayambalam-Kawadiar and Kawadiar-Kuravankonam roads for their late night motorbike races, which also involved a certain amount of money betting.

The youth used power enhanced 100 cc two stroke motorbikes.

The police said certain mechanics helped them enhance the power of their bikes by modifying the engine (using larger pistons and cylinders) and exhaust system (with chambers). The police said that such alterations were a violation of the motor vehicle rules and those responsible could be prosecuted.

The police said young motorbike riders (particularly those have recently earned their licenses) often tend break road rules just for the thrill of it. Many find it thrilling to overtake dangerously at high speeds.

Traffic enforcement in the city is often limited to stopping vehicles and checking the records. Rarely are traffic violators booked by the police while on the move.

Over speeding and overtaking through the left side on busy roads often went unpunished, traffic experts point out. Poor road conditions, bad driving habits, lack of awareness of road discipline and drunken driving have also contributed to the high number of accidents involving two-wheelers in the city.

According to the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), two-wheeler riders are among the most vulnerable section of road users. A traffic study by NATPAC pointed out that lack of protective head gear was one of the main reasons for the large number of fatalities in road accidents involving two-wheelers in the State.

The NATPAC, which studied medical records maintained at the accident trauma care wings of major Medical College Hospitals in Kerala, says that in at least 70 per cent cases death of two wheeler riders was caused due to head injury.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Free software a big draw
A hitchhiker’s guide to the brain
Science quiz for school students
Chamber welcomes export policy
Cess: government warns of fine
Pre-monsoon cleaning from May 5
Drop in primary school children
Save British Library Forum meet
FRAT plea to step up sanitation work
362 persons held; action against 1,374 for drunk driving
Satyagraha for High Court Bench enters 59th day
Two-wheeler accidents on the rise in the city
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu