Date:12/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/12/stories/2007051220030300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Sustained traffic awareness programme needed

Absence of road sense is a major cause of accidents, writes K.V. Subramanya

THE DEATH of a Defence employee in a road accident on Mahatma Gandhi Road on Friday has highlighted how traffic violations are contributing to an increase in such incidents.

Ramappa (59), who was riding a scooter without wearing a helmet, was killed when a car trying to jump a signal rammed his vehicle from behind. The accident also points to the need for having a sustained and broad-based traffic awareness programme in the city, which accounts for nearly 1,000 deaths in road accidents annually.

Though the traffic police have been "strictly" enforcing the rules and also using modern technology to book offenders in recent months, there seems to be not much decline in the road accidents and unruly road behaviour.

While various factors contribute to road accidents, the absence of road sense is the major cause. The traditional outlook is to overlook the mistakes of road-users who are victims and thus this aspect is not properly reflected in accident records, say senior police officials while making out a case for holding a massive traffic awareness programme.

An analysis of the cases booked by traffic police over the past few years shows that people lack basic road sense and they need to be sensitised about it.

In the last three years, the police have booked around 35 lakh cases for various traffic violations such as reckless driving, drunken driving, over-speeding, driving with out licence, driving on no-entry roads, jumping signals and haphazard parking.

According to senior police officials connected with traffic management, drunken driving, over-speeding, lane indiscipline, haphazard parking, crossing roads in a zigzag manner and lack of training in driving are the other major causes for road accidents.

The police say that more than 60 per cent of road accidents that take place between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. are because of drunken driving.

The driver's judgment is impaired and level of caution comes down when he is drunk.

On the other hand, over-speeding not only leads to accidents, but also causes serious injuries to the victims.

As the vehicle will be moving at a great speed, the impact of the accident will be severe and the resultant injury serious, the police say.

Dangerous driving, such as over taking in wrong direction, zigzag driving, going against the flow of traffic, speaking over mobile phones while driving, has also triggered accidents, the police say.

Haphazard parking at junctions often leads to blocking of view and impairs a driver's judgment, resulting in an accident.

Pedestrians, who are often victims of accidents, also endanger their lives as often they walk on the roads and not on the footpaths, the police opine.

Pedestrians cross roads even at places where there are no zebra crossings.

The drivers do not expect pedestrian movement at such places, and thus they are not in a position to take immediate action to prevent an accident, they say.