Thiruvananthapuram: The six-lane south-north stretch of national highway (NH-7 from Tamil Nadu to UP) lying close to Kerala has become one of the favourite roads for speedsters. But lack of precautions by drivers and hidden dangers on the road are making it a death trap too.
Unscientific sign boards, poor conditions of vehicles, lack of experience of drivers, violation of road rules and the condition of roads lead to most accidents on the highway, according to road safety experts.
"Along the six-lane NH on the Tamil Nadu stretch, most drivers tend to drive at speeds exceeding 100 km despite the fact that our roads are designed for a maximum speed of 100 km per hour. Hence, driving at a speed above 100 kmph invites higher risk," said traffic expert Mr. Upendra Narayanan. Most luxury cars have in-built electronic stability devices, whereas ordinary vehicles without such facilities face dangers, he added.
Sign boards visible even from a distance of about 300 metres are also essential so that the drivers speeding above 100 kmph will get enough reaction time. This could be achieved by using diamond-grade retro-reflective boards. These days high-intensity retro-reflective boards that offer visibility from a maximum distance of 200 metres are used. It is also ideal to use rubber- based medians and poles for sign boards, which would reduce the impact of collisions.
Poor road manners by many also pose a threat along the six-lane stretch with median. "On many occasions, two-wheelers come in the opposite direction violating lanes to take short cut to enter the other side of the road. This forces drivers coming in the right direction at high speed to take sudden deviations, leading to mishaps," said M. Unnikrishnan, a city-resident who drives frequently along the stretch. Similarly, many two-wheelers jump dividers.
"A good driver should always expect the unexpected even while driving along the best roads," Mr. Narayanan said.
The drivers should ensure proper condition of vehicles like tyre pressure and brakes and avoid driving while feeling sleepy, traffic experts suggest. Continuous driving is also dangerous. "As per international standards, the maximum continuous steering hours of drivers of state carriers is eight and for private cars it is ten. But these are not followed here," Mr. Narayanan said.
