Date:06/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010658420300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Driving home need to reduce accidents

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

Photo: R. RAVINDRAN.

Crushed: An autorickshaw which was damaged after a collision with an MTC bus on Kamaraj Salai recently. —

CHENNAI: Passengers, motorcyclists and pedestrians form a chunk of the accident victims of Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses in the city, according to MTC Joint Managing Director B. K. Vaikundavasan.

Speaking on the occasion of the Dr.T.Muthian Memorial seminar on ‘Driving and Road Safety’ organised by the alumni association and Division of Transportation Engineering (DTE), College of Engineering, Guindy, on Saturday, he said, “Of the 144 fatal accidents caused by the MTC buses in 2008, 44 were passengers, 44 motorcyclists and 32 pedestrians.”

He stressed the need for ‘lane discipline’ of motorcyclists and mentioned the efforts made by the MTC to reduce the number of accidents such as conducting refresher training for accident-prone drivers and conductors.

The MTC wanted to reduce the amount spent on compensation, approximately Rs.1.6 crore a month, for accident victims by training the drivers effectively. The initiatives such as regular crew counselling, monitoring rash and negligent driving and regulation of MTC bus driving at bus stops by driving instructors would contribute towards decreasing the rate of accidents.

According to a study conducted by the DTE, around 90 per cent of road accidents could be avoided by strictly enforcing the speed limits. The number of accidents was higher during rush hour, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Last year, 170 pedestrians have been killed in road accidents in the city, constituting 20 per cent of the deaths. The rate of accidents has been increasing by 10 per cent every year, said Nelson Jeyakumar, a road safety consultant of Tamil Nadu Road Sector Projects.

Proper understanding by drivers of the key aspects of driving and of the root causes of accidents is essential for reducing the number of accidents, said S. Suresh of Youth Task Force.

“Comprehensive measures with better engineering, education and emergency care are vital,” said R.Sekar, Additional Director General of Police.

“More than 600 junctions in the city need grade separation facilities for a smooth flow of traffic,” said Harish L.Metha, Chief Traffic Warden, Chennai.

“The parking space available in the city is just adequate for 20 per cent of the requirement,” he said. “There is a decline in the percentage of people using public transportation. Public transportation can ease congestion in the city and reduce parking problems,” he added.

K. C. Mahali, Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore, presented his experimental projects on prevention of accidents using ‘Micro Level Cost effective Traffic Engineering Approach.’

G. B. Jaiprakash Narain, president of the alumni association, presided over the meeting.

Dr. M. Sekar, Dean, College of Engineering Guindy welcomed the gathering.

K.P.Subramanian, former Professor, Anna University, and G. Umadevi, Assistant Professor, Division of Transportation Engineering, were coordinators of the seminar.