_0.jpg "Bad highway management turns National Highways into death traps")
Hyderabad: Most fatal accidents take place on the state’s prominent highways. National Highway 65 to Vijayawada, on which the fatal accident involving Mr Harikrishna’s son Janakiram took place, is considered to be the most dangerous.
On the city outskirts alone, as many as 75 accidents were reported on this highway in the last 10 months.
Poor illumination on highways where they pass through villages and towns, negligence of drivers and faulty design of roads are major causes of these accidents, say road safety experts.
As per the Nalgonda police, the place where Tollywood producer Janakiram’s car crashed with the tractor was not properly lit despite there being a curve on the road and village roads connecting to the National Highway.
Experts say that lack of speed governing techniques, signboards, and improperly designed connecting roads are turning the highways into death traps.
Cutting down highway mishaps
Member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on road safety and faculty in Central Road Research Institute, Dr Nishi Mittal said: “We need to use ‘traffic calming techniques’ on highways at selected places.
The mishap prone areas should be identified and rumble strips or speed breakers have to be installed there.
The signboards asking drivers to slow down and explaining the nature of the road (for ex - ‘curve ahead’) should be installed. Another way is to narrow down the roads when it’s reaching black spots, that will compel drivers to slow down,” she said.
It is impossible to illuminate thousands of kilometers along the national highways, but experts suggest that installing lights at the accident-prone areas is possible.
Chairman of Internati-onal Road Federation, India chapter, N.K. Sinha said that the authorities could identify the black spots and install lights there.
“Another issue is that drivers often fail to understand the size of heavy vehicles on the road at night. So, It’s important to have reflective tapes on trucks, tractors and other heavy vehicle. It should be made compulsory for all heavy vehicles under the MV Act,” he said, referring to the new Bill on road safety.
