Every two seconds, a road accident takes place, and every four seconds a person dies due to a road accident, somewhere in the world. India tops the table when it comes to road accidents and Andhra Pradesh heads the list among the states. These figures were given out by the Motor Vehicle Inspector from the Department of Transport M. Butchi Raju at a student awareness programme on road safety at Pydah Engineering College and Kaushik Engineering College here on Tuesday. The programme was organised by The Hindu in association with the dealers for Yamaha two-wheelers Sri Srinivasa Yamaha.
Delivering the inaugural address, the Deputy Transport Commissioner K. Sambasiva Rao said that most of the accidents occur due to use of cell phones while driving, rash driving and drunken driving. Cautioning the students, he said, “A person who dies in an accident has nothing to lose further, but the entire family suffers lifelong.”
Motor Vehicle Inspector R. Ch. Srinivas Rao in his presentation pointed out that 40 per cent of the fatalities in accidents concerning two-wheelers are due to not wearing of helmets.
Elucidating the causes of accidents through a presentation, Mr. Butchi Raju said that in 2001 the total number of accidents was about 28,900 and fatalities were 8,248 and by 2011 the corresponding figures have shot up to 39, 300 and 13,500.
“This explains that the rate of accident is on the rise despite having better roads and good vehicles. The rise can be attributed to lack of awareness on road safety, negligence and least respect for life,” he said.
Pedestrians are the worst hit and they contribute to about 40 per cent, followed by two-wheelers that record 28 per cent. Doling out a few tips, the inspector said, pedestrians should always walk opposite the traffic and on the side of the road.
Showing animation clips, he explained the importance of various traffic signs and principles of safe driving such as overtaking and negotiating turns.
“India is a ‘keep left country' and hence a vehicle should be overtaken always from its right. The healthy speed of a motorcycle should be 50 km per hour and for an autorickshaw it should be 30 kmph,” said Mr. Butchi Raju.
He cautioned, “The Beach Road is not a race track, and the average speed should be 20 km per hour,” he said.
The Principal of Pydah Engineering College R.P. Das Principal of Kaushik Engineering College S. Sarabandi and the Regional General Manager of The Hindu T.V. Suresh spoke.
The Managing Director of Sri Srinivasa Yamaha, Dasaradha Ram Reddy was present.
