Death toll rises on the streets of Bengaluru due to road accidents with trucks, drinking-and-driving.
By Hansy Sanctis
Bengaluru, April 10, 2019
According to the traffic records from the North Eastern Traffic Zone, from January 2017 to March 2018, there were 151 deaths reported in the northeastern zone of Bengaluru. Listed under the categories of speeding, plus drinking and driving. The kind of cases ranges from car crashes to skidding to pedestrians being crushed by vehicles.
According to the Bengaluru Traffic Police website, there have been 7,022 cases in the year of 2018, which is higher in comparison to the other two years – 4,990 cases in 2016 and 3,405 cases in 2017. These cases mentioned above have been registered for drinking and driving.
Lack of coordination when it comes to traffic signals is listed as another reason for these kinds of accidents taking place. Surya Parthiban is a resident of RT Nagar for the past five years. Being a witness to two accidents, she states – “People over here are into rash driving and there are quarrels that take place between passengers every single day. It is not safe to stroll these streets after 7 p.m. because there are hit and run cases almost every other day.”
The Motor Vehicle Act which had another amendment bill passed in 2016 and it has made the fines heftier to prevent traffic violations as the Google results suggest. David Rebello, a resident of Devanahalli says – “My side of town is on the way to the airport. Traffic congestion here cannot be compared to any other part of the city and this the reason I find many accidents taking place. People are in such a rush to reach the airport on time that they speed unnecessarily and that results in accidents taking place.”
A general census was covered throughout the areas of JC Nagar main division, JC Nagar traffic division, RT Nagar main division, RT Traffic division and Yelahanka Traffic Division to find that the cases have been registered only if the complainant was extremely adamant on doing so. Small accidents are preferably solved with the passengers with the intermediation of the traffic constables.
Shivaji Rao is a traffic constable at the Yelahanka police station. He emphasized on why the rate of accidents was increasing, some of them being really relevant, like how daily passengers who are in a hurry or individuals who are under some kind of intoxicated influence, or truck drivers who use the roads at night.
He says – “Since the rates of traffic are so high when it comes to Bengaluru, people drive with less safety. Their main agenda becomes to reach their offices or their homes on time and not to drive safely.
M.N. Sreehari, a traffic expert based in Bengaluru feels that lack of proper maintenance of roads should come first as a precaution. He says – “Accidents could be prevented by better precautions and rules that could be stronger and sterner The traffic police should take a great amount of effort in surveying traffic to catch people who are rash drivers, drinkers, or are under any kind of intoxication, so that people learn how to be careful and safe while driving.”
