Accidents due to unscientific speed breakers increased as lockdown relaxation ease in the city.
Unscientific speed breakers across Karnataka are leading to an increase in road accidents in the state.
The number of accidents in Karnataka was around 2,000, making Karnataka the leading state in speed-breaker accidents.
A Ministry of Road Transport and Highways study showed that about 30 accidents occur daily and nine people die in road accidents due to speed breakers.
Chandru, a daily commuter said, “There are many damaged and wrong speed breakers on Gollahalli road making it dangerous to drive.”
Speed breakers have become a part of life of common people while driving on the roads.
Prakash, an auto driver from Kengeri said that uneven speed breakers are common and it doesn’t matter anymore.
BBMP Traffic Engineering Cell said, “All speed breakers are laid after traffic police department suggests to build them. All the humps are built under the guidelines of Indian Road Congress (IRC).”
Prof. MN Sreehari, advisor to traffic, transportation, and infrastructure to government of Karnataka said, “Artificial obstruction to any vehicle is dangerous and can lead to accidents.”
He added that speed breakers or any hump on the road are used to reduce the speed of vehicles. A hump is only used in minor roads i.e. smaller roads before they join the main road to control the speed. The unscientific nature of speed breakers accounts for their height, width, and also its visibility during night, this can result in vehicle overturn especially two-wheelers.
He said, “These humps are dangerous to vehicles and drivers rather than helpful to users, pedestrians. To avoid such occurrences there should be signs before them to alert drivers, so they don’t jump over it and that lots of accidents occur while navigating these speed breakers.”
“As compared to the number of vehicles, the number of kilometers road length in India, it is very small, however, life is a precious one and we must be safe. In a year an urban area or a city can witness five to eight deaths,” Mr. Sreehari estimated.
The guidelines for road infrastructure are given by IRC. It is the highest body in India that decides norms and requirements for planning and designing roads in the country.
They have defined speed breakers as a tool to slow down fast-moving vehicles at places like schools, hospitals, start and end of flyover, the intersection of roads, etc. Ideally width of a speed breaker should be 3.7 meters and its height should be 0.10 meters. The distance between two speed breakers should be 100 to 120 meters.
Dear Utkarsha,
Your story is eye opener.
Well done.
The article has drafted very well and perhaps an eye opener to various corporations including BBMP. The sad part is that BBMP do not have any specialized senior qualified traffic engineer as it’s advisor. In the absence of this, how the road safety is assured and ensured.