A road accident, which was not, attracted huge crowd near the B.B. Kulam uzhavar sandhai (farmers’ shandy) bringing normal vehicular movement to a sudden halt.
For a few moment, public in the vicinity were shocked to see a man in a pool of blood, when a four-wheeler dashed against a two-wheeler. Many came to the rescue of the victim. While some were seen picking up their mobile phones to inform the police and call the 108 emergency ambulance service, a few others tried to help the victim by physically lifting him from the spot.
When senior officials from the Transport and Madurai City Traffic Police arrived at the scene, the passersby realised that it was a mock accident staged to draw the attention of the public.
The police and Regional Transport Officers from Madurai North, South and Central distributed pamphlets about the need for following safe driving practices. By wearing helmets, two-wheeler riders can safeguard themselves from any head injury. Self-discipline was the key to prevent road accidents. Rash and negligent driving, talking over mobile phone and drinking and driving should be avoided at any cost. With heavy rise in vehicle population, public had to be more responsible while using the roads, the RTO (North) N. Ravichandran said.
Earlier in the day, a team of officers led by RTO (South) K. Natarajan checked the vehicles near Arasaradi and advised the motorists to follow traffic signals. The two-wheeler riders were told to wear headgears on their own than waiting for laws to come or the authorities to enforce rules. “Please obey rules and help bring discipline while driving,” they told the vehicle users.
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Divisional Manager D. S. Vincent said that for prevention of accidents, he stressed the need for periodic vehicle maintenance, driver behaviour and good driving habits as essential.
Periodic maintenance of vehicles should be accorded top priority. Vehicles should be intact and fit to run as mechanical or technical snag could cause problems on roads. Like the vehicle maintenance, the motorists too should get periodic training and subject themselves for thorough medical examination. The minimum educational qualification for drivers could be raised from Eighth Standard as it would be helpful in further training drivers. Refresher courses, exposure to scientific training and use of sophisticated gadgets shall improve the efficiency of drivers. Lane driving is a new concept and hence drivers, especially for those, handling heavy vehicles should be taught on lane discipline. Personal and other monetary losses due to accidents should be explained to drivers during training session. To get rid of stress, yoga and meditation should be a part of training, Mr. Vincent suggested.
