The Hindu Business Line : Kerala roads lead to the other world

IN the first six months of this year, 1,562 people lost their lives and 25,730 were injured in road accidents in the State, according to a paper `Road traffic injuries: Alarming trends', prepared by Mr T. Elangovan, Director, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre.

The paper says that from January to June this year, there were 20,545 road accidents reported in the State.

The number of road accidents reported in Kerala went up from 37,072 in 2000 to 39,496 in 2003, the paper says. The average number of accidents per day too went up sharply from 93 in 1999 to 108 in 2003.

However, compared to factors such as growth in the State's vehicle population - from 19.1 lakh vehicles to 25.52 lakh vehicles - from 2000 to 2003, the increase in the number of road accidents is not very alarming, the paper says.

But Kerala continues to have the highest accident rate (number of accidents per thousand vehicles) in the country, it adds. In 2003, the State recorded 15 accidents per 1,000 vehicles, against the all-India average of 7.5.

Not surprisingly, two-wheelers, which account for approximately 57 per cent of the nearly 27 lakh motor vehicles in Kerala, also account for one-third of the 20,545 accidents in the State in the first half of 2004, the paper says. Over 6,800 accidents in the January-June period were due to two-wheelers, it adds.

According to the paper, the key to bringing down the number of road accidents and fatalities is by implementing a comprehensive safety management policy that combines enforcement of traffic rules with education, cost-effective traffic engineering and better medical facilities along major highways. For instance, the paper recommends that road safety education be included in the school curriculum. And an intensive, State-wide road safety campaign must be organised.

It also suggests that separate speed zones must be notified along different roads, and must be strictly enforced.

Accident-prone locations on highways and other major roads must be identified and suitable improvements implemented on a priority basis, the paper recommends. Other suggestions include extending police patrol to all major roads, removing encroachments on highways and relocating bus stops from major junctions.

More Stories on : Accidents | Roadways | Kerala

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