Hyderabad: City roads and highways are designed for a particular speed. The driver won’t be able to control his vehicle if he exceeds the maximum speed limit.
Transportation experts and motor vehicle inspectors say that the safe speed limit on city roads and highways is below 50 kmph.
If a motorist sticks to this speed limit he can control the vehicle and stop within 35 meters in case he encounters an adverse situation on the road.
Mr B. Sai Ram Reddy, a motor vehicle inspector from the Telangana transport department and member of the Road Safety Club says that a driver can detect a threat only 35 meters away, and as per their psychology they cover around 14 to 25 meters before taking the decision to stop.
“This is true not only in Hyderabad or National Highways but across the globe. The possibilities of accidents increase once the speed crosses 65 kmph,” he said.
Quoting a recent report of World Health Organisation delivered during last week’s Road Safety Week, Mr Reddy said, “If the speed goes down by five per cent the rate of accidents will be cut by 30 per cent. If a vehicle moving at 50 kmph hits a pedestrian the possibilities of death is 20 per cent. But, if the vehicle is moving at 80 kmph the possibilities rise to 60 per cent,” he said.
The World Health Organisation report says that a driver moving at 50 kmph can control his vehicle in 25 meters and escape the threat 35 meters away. If the vehicle is moving at 60 kmph it will hit with a speed of at least 0-2 kmph and the effect will not be significant.
If the vehicle exceeds 65 kmph the driver can apply brakes only after around 18 meters and will hit the target (at 35 meter distance) at 30 kmph.
This can cause death if the object happens to be a pedestrian.
Additional Director General of Road Safety Authorities T. Krishna Prasad told DC that raising awareness among motorists was vital to control road accidents and deaths.
Joint Transport Commissioner J. Pandurang Naik said that more awareness drives were necessary among two-wheeler and light motor vehicle drivers.
“Other categories of vehicles like trucks, buses, school buses and heavy vehicles have speed governors which control speed. After 2016 manufacturers are installing speed governors on all new vehicles before sending them to dealers,” he said.
