Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Capital district tops the table in road accidents

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 454 persons were killed and 3,465 suffered serious injuries in 4,410 road accidents that occurred in the district in 2009.

The capital district with 454 deaths topped the table of road accidents as per the road accident statistics compiled by the State Crime Records Bureau. In 2008, as many as 429 persons were killed and 3,749 grievously injured in 4,587 road accidents in the district.

Although the number of road accidents and those getting serious injuries had declined in the district in 2009 compared to the previous year, the mounting fatalities is turning to be a cause for concern.

Ernakulam district which topped the table in 2008 has gone down the list with the number of deaths coming down to 430 during the 12 months last year. Director General of Police (DGP) Jacob Punnose said recently that the reluctance of the two-wheelers to wear helmets and road users to obey traffic rules were the main reasons for the mounting deaths in road accidents in the capital.

“Through strict enforcement of helmets, seat belts and traffic and motor vehicle rules, we could reduce road accidents by 20 per cent in Ernakulam and 25 per cent in Kozhikode,” the DGP said.

Among the injured in road accidents in Thiruvananthapuram district, 3,465 suffered serious injuries and 1,254 minor injuries. The National Highway stretch passing through the capital district accounted for 1,105 accidents and State Highway 366 accidents. An analysis of the timings of the road accidents that took place in Thiruvananthapruam had shown that 3,195 accidents took place during daytime and 1,214 during the night. A break-up of the stage-carriers involved in the road accidents in the capital district shows that 282 KSRTC buses and 163 private buses met with accidents.

Two-wheelers accounted for 1,899 road accidents, cars for 1,003 accidents, lorry 249, minibus 110, jeep 108 and autorickshaw for 604 road accidents during the 12 months in the district.

Road safety experts say strict enforcement of the traffic and motor vehicle rules, good roads, creating a road culture and motorists complying with the safety norms will go a long way in bringing down the road accident deaths in the capital drastically. “As two-wheelers were involved in 1,899 accidents in the capital in 2009, the police and the motor vehicles department should strictly enforce helmets for two-wheelers and take steps to curb over-speeding, rash, negligent driving,” a road safety expert said.

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