Jaywalking and blind spots caused by metro pillars are contributing to road accidents involving pedestrians. This was one of the findings of a recent survey conducted by the city traffic police on road safety.
“On an average, pedestrian deaths comprise 30% of all road accident fatalities,” said B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic).
In 2016, over 300 pedestrians were killed in road accidents. While the number of fatalities reduced by 13.75% in 2018, the figures are still high given that most of the deaths could have been avoided if all parts of the city had proper pavements, said senior traffic officials.
This year till August, 171 pedestrians died in road accidents and 792 were injured. “Lack of pedestrian infrastructure and non-availability of pavements are forcing people to walk on the road leading to accidents,” said Mr. Gowda who cited the lack of pedestrian infrastructure and pavements as one of the key reasons.
Another factor is the presence of metro pillars across many busy stretches.
Jumping over medians
According to the police, pedestrians get knocked down when they try to cross a road from the side of the pillar or jump over medians. “It’s a blind spot for both motorists and pedestrians. Pedestrians, too, need to follow road safety rules,” he said.
The police have asked the authorities concerned to increase the height of medians and improve the quality of footpaths as a precautionary measure.
The department also plans to install pelican crossing at important junctions for pedestrians.
The traffic police said they are also strictly enforcing road rules not just for motorists but also pedestrians.
Mr. Gowda admitted that the city roads lack pedestrian safety as everyone thinks the roads belong only to motorists.
