Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), a prominent thoroughfare notorious for traffic congestion in the city, serves as the vital link connecting over 500 IT companies on the stretch. Recent findings by the traffic police have pinpointed no fewer than 26 locations along this route, referred to as “accident black spots”, where the highest number of accidents have been recorded.
The Hindu visited these black spots along the ORR to gather insights from people on the ground, including input from the traffic police, and find out the underlying causes of these accidents.
38 accidents
The traffic police have identified a critical junction in close proximity to the Prestige Tech Park, JP Morgan, along the Marathahalli - Sarjapur, ORR in Kadubeesanahalli. This location has emerged as a significant accident-prone area, registering a total of 38 accidents over the past three years, including both fatal and non-fatal incidents.
A traffic police officer stationed at this junction explained that the large number of tech park employees during peak hours contributes to heavy traffic. Conversely, during nighttime, when traffic is lighter, some drivers tend to drive recklessly, resulting in accidents. Tragically, many of these accidents involve pedestrians.
At another identified accident-prone area near Bagmane Tech Park along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) under the jurisdiction of Mahadevapura traffic police, a similar pattern has emerged. This location has been labelled as an accident black spot by the police due to the recurring accidents that often go unreported.
According to a traffic police officer responsible for managing traffic in this area, many of these accidents are relatively minor, involving disputes between vehicle owners after a small accident and thus, they often go unrecorded.
The area near Bagmane Tech Park, under the jurisdiction of the Mahadevapura traffic police. | Photo Credit: Darshan Devaiah B.P.
Skywalks ignored
The officer said, “Pedestrians also contribute to the accident rate on this stretch. Despite the presence of skywalks intended for safe crossing, a significant number of pedestrians opt not to use them, choosing instead to cross the road directly, resulting in accidents.”
Another problematic area along this route is near the K.R. Puram hanging bridge. This junction has also witnessed a significant number of accidents, with a total of 14 major incidents reported in the past three years.
“Many people tend to cross the road in a disorganized manner, and even though there is a traffic signal, several two-wheeler riders disregard traffic rules, leading to accidents. Over the past five years, while commuting to my office in Bellandur via this route, I have personally witnessed more than ten accidents, ranging from minor to major collisions,” Narayan Prasad, a regular commuter said.
Meanwhile, along the entire stretch of the Outer Ring Road (ORR), where metro construction is underway, traffic congestion remains a significant issue. At numerous traffic signals, pedestrians were crossing the road even when the pedestrian signal displayed a red light, indicating that it was not safe to do so.
Reckless driving
Moreover, the increased congestion caused by the ongoing metro construction has led to reckless driving behaviour, particularly among autorickshaws. Many two-wheeler riders were seen dangerously overtaking cars and other vehicles from the left side, exacerbating the already challenging traffic conditions.
Meanwhile, the traffic police have suggested various measures, including the installation of accident zone signboards, construction of skywalks, placement of cat eyes and blinkers, CCTV cameras, rumbler strips, road markings, road humps, street lights, raised centre medians, and speed limit signage boards.
