As many as 810 people died, while 3,400 others suffered injuries in 2,950 accidents recorded in the State last year, according to Deputy Transport Commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao.
At a media conference here on Sunday, he expressed concern over the manner in which youngsters had taken to the habit of driving without undergoing any training, resulting in accidents. “There is no change in people’s behaviour in spite of organising a series of traffic awareness programmes to prevent road accidents,” he lamented. He said the department was also maintaining a constant vigil on the violators of traffic rules.
He also warned heavy vehicle owners of action against for not fixing reflectors to their vehicles. “It has been observed that many accidents occur because the drivers enter highways from service roads without proper observation. We want local residents to inform the department officials about accident-prone areas so that we could put up caution signboards there,” he said.
Mr. Rao advised auto-rickshaw drivers not to overload vehicles with passengers as it could lead to accidents. More than 9,201 cases were registered against motorists for violating road safety norms and more than Rs.2 crore was collected from them as penalties, he informed.
