R. Vinod Kumar (25), a cab driver and a resident of Murphy Town, was returning home from M.G. Road with his friend after ushering in the New Year last year. His motorcycle hit a car and Kumar sustained severe head injuries. He died on the way to hospital.
According to the police, Vinod was riding the motorcycle without a helmet and was apparently in an inebriated state when the accident occurred. Within a few minutes, another 25-year-old, an office assistant with a real estate agency in the city, died on the spot when his motorcycle hit a road-divider on Uthanahalli Main Road near Chikkajala. Mallikarjun was a native of Andhra Pradesh and was staying near Chikkajala. He too was returning home after participating in New Year celebrations, and was believed to be under the influence of alcohol.
At least five persons get killed in road accidents on the New Year day every year. Rash and negligent driving or driving under the influence of alcohol is attributed to be the reasons for most of them.
Additional Commissioner of Police M.A. Saleem told The Hindu that one third of such accidents occurred during the night.
In most cases, the people killed and injured were in the 15 to 45 age group, which had been categorised as a “productive” in any economy, Mr. Saleem said.
Poor judgement, slow reaction, delayed reflexes, poor visual attention, improper co-ordination and difficulty in identifying road bottlenecks lead to accidents.
Consumption of alcohol also results in a “euphoric effect”, making the individual shed his/her inhibition and to violate traffic rules.
Mr. Saleem said drunken driving would be a major problem in the years to come owing to rapid motorisation, increasing availability of alcohol, and rising income levels of people.
