Highway users travel with caution!

Team Udayavani, Sep 11, 2019, 4:39 PM IST

Our roads symbolize development. Yet it is terrifying to realize that currently, the roads themselves are becoming the cause for people losing their lives. Udayavani’s this report on the reality is this  – to depict the safety standard of our national highways and make the MLAs, MPs, remaining representatives of the people, national department officials and the district administration realize it. Even then, it remains to be seen if the road safety will increase, may be by a little or not. The reality report series regarding all the problems being faced on along the national highway 66 from Talapady to Shiroor, starts from today.

Mangaluru: You might know this fact. Of the people dying in road accident in India presently, a major chunk belongs to the youth. Of the accidents that have occurred in one year, 9,000 victims are within the age of 18.

It may be on the national highway, or the state highway or some inner road, the occurrence of road accidents has become almost quite too common. But the loss of life, pain, grief and shock of such repeated accidents that occur in front of our eyes is only know to the families of the victims. In this backdrop, it is vital that all of us join in hands to prevent any more road accidents.

The country has an extensive road network whose length measures to about 56 lakh km of which, 1.01 lakh km is national highway. As per the stats for 2017by the central transport and national highway, altogether 4,64,910 accidents had occurred. 1.48 lakh people lost their lives. Close to 4,70,975 persons were injured. 42,542 accidents had occurred in Karnataka do which, 10,609 people were killed. 52,961 were injured. Besides, 14,217 accidents occurred along the state national highway in which, 3,792 people lost their lives while 17,242 people were injured. In state highways too, 11,193 accidents took place which killed 3,102 people. Around 20,816 accidents took place on other roads, claiming the lives of 3,715 people.

948 accidents in DK

Of the national highways, NH 75 from Hassan to Mangaluru and NH 66 from Talapady to Shiroor pass through the undivided Dakshina Kannada district and are considered to be two very important roads. Besides, NH 169 from Kulshekar to Moodbidri also passes through the district. There is almost 177 km of national highway in DK district while Udupi has 142 km of the national highway

But the number of accidents occurring along NH 75 which connects between Mangaluru and Bengaluru and NH 66, which connects from Kerala to Mangaluru with Udupi is seeing a rise in the number of accidents. This has created fear.

As per the government’s final stats, altogether 948 accidents took place in DK district in 2018 of which, 420 accidents occurred along the national highway.

Last year, 83 people lost their lives in the district while 462 persons were injured. Of all the accidents, 81 were deadly accidents while 339 were not deadly accidents. This is the problem occurring along the 177 km long highway limits passing through the district.

In this backdrop, what is the reason behind the accidents occurring along the national highway? How the unscientific constructions of the highways lead to accidents? Where are the accident prone zones? How much the accidents are due to traffic rule violation?  Are some of the realities that need to be analyzed.

Accordingly, in the backdrop of the rise in the number of accidents occurring along the national highway, a team from ‘Udayavani’ will travel along NH 75 from Nanthoor to Kokkada cross and along NH 66 from Talapady to Hejmady toll gate covering a distance of 60 km and 30 km respectively and will make an attempt to place before its readers the present state of the road. This is the first phase. The second phase will cover from Hejmady to Kundapur and the third phase will cover from Kundapur to Shiroor and will place before the readers, a list of problems along the routes.

Along with showing the neglectfulness of the officials of the highway authority, the irresponsibility of the contracting company responsible for the highway maintenance, and the lack of self and political will power, ‘Udayavani’ is also wishing to provide explanation regarding how we as citizens can prevent the occurrence of accidents by flowing traffic rules.