Hyderabad: The police forces in Telangana state and AP do not follow the Police Manual in case of road accidents, which mandates filling a ‘Road Accident Report Form’ with details like primary cause, light and road condition and the vehicle’s condition among others.
Failure to fill the form is leading to incomplete accident analysis and has also resulted in many acquittals. Form 49 contains details of the site, day and time of the accident, and that of the vehicle involved along with its condition and class, nature of accident, that is whether it happened due to a collision with another vehicle or pedestrians or trees etc.
The primary cause of the accident can be assessed from the details, that is whether the accident occurred due to the fault of the drivers, or the pedestrian or passenger, or due to a mechanical defect in the vehicle.
The information furnished in the form also gives clarity on whether the accident occurred due to defective roads or a curve or weather conditions like fog, mist, heavy rain and lighting conditions at the accident spot.
Police officials say that the form was adapted from a format prescribed by the Bureau of Police Research and Development. They add that it is not only Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh that is ignoring the format. No state in India is now following the format. “The main reason is the paperwork. If this information is provided, the case becomes stronger and can lead to conviction. Though there is no proper statistics, at times suspects in accidents are acquitted due to lack of some minute details,” said a senior police official.
