The Hindu : Front Page : Frequent road accidents on NH-7 a cause for concern

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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Frequent road accidents on NH-7 a cause for concern

S. Prasad

PHOTO: N. BASHKARAN

Price of recklessness: Rash driving without observing traffic rules leads to fatal accidents. —

Dharmapuri: National Highway-7 passing through Dharmapuri town is a spot of frequent fatal accidents. There has been a rapid increase in the number of road accidents in the district, particularly during peak hours, owing to reckless driving by motorists and heavy vehicle drivers who seldom observe traffic rules.

According to statistics with the district police, 925 road accidents occurred in 2006 of which 126 were fatal. As many as 1,156 accidents were reported in 2007 in which 236 died and 1,566 sustained injuries. Similarly, about 95 lost lives till April 2008.

A police official said people showed little respect to traffic rules and regulations. Many motorists in Dharmapuri do not possess driving licences. As a result, even insurance cannot be claimed in case of deaths or serious injuries.

Department of Transport should launch a special drive to check vehicles without valid documents and issue driving licences. A majority of the accidents occur between 5.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. because of rash driving and poor visibility. Private buses speed up during peak hours to maintain time register causing frequent accidents. The stretch from Thoppur Pass to Dharmapuri bypass is a major accident-prone area in the district.

Another cause of worry is the absence trauma care centres in the district, except the Emergency Accident Relief Centre (EARC) at Gundalpatti on NH-7.

EARC can only shift the injured to hospitals and cannot provide treatment. According to a senior doctor, Dharmapuri Government Hospital has become an accident referral centre with most of the cases being referred to either Salem or Bangalore.

EARCs cannot provide first line management resulting in an increased mortality rate.

A majority of the victims die during the ‘Golden Hour’ as it takes more than two hours for them to reach hospital.

There should be at least two trauma care centres, one each at Thoppur and Gundalpatti, to provide immediate treatment to the victims during the Golden Hour.

Each centre could cover a minimum of 50 km radius thereby reducing the number of fatalities, said sources.

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