Major road accidents take place during nights (“19 killed as container falls on Kerala-bound bus in Tiruppur,” and “Seven pilgrims from Nepal die in Salem accident,” Feb. 21). It has been suggested by the public time and again that lorries must not operate during certain hours after midnight since drivers, having spent long hours at the wheels, tend to doze off. It is common knowledge that high-level alertness is required while driving any type of vehicle. There is no use arguing that roads have become broader or medians prevent head-on collisions. Wider roads only encourage vehicle users to drive at higher speeds. Dazzling headlights, increased power in engines, etc. are a menace. Speed governors must be fixed for all vehicles and speed guns must be installed to discourage speeding. Road safety measures should be strictly implemented, failing which accidents will continue unabated.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu
A deadly combination of a dozy driver at the wheels and an overloaded container truck caused the gruesome bus accident that claimed the lives of 19 people in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. It points to our society’s twin failures — disrespect for the law and a collective failure to nurture an enduring culture of road safety. The eagerness with which we exploit the law’s loopholes, like exemption from the need to have a cleaner-driver in truck cabins, and the brazenness with which we violate stipulations relating to speed and load limits, point to a perverse attitude that wantonly disregards road safety and trivialises the sanctity of life. The perception that one can get away with serious road traffic transgressions needs to be challenged through deterrent enforcement. Lenient punishment like paltry fines for serious offences makes up a moral hazard as it creates a climate of cost-free crime. The perceptible wielding of the regulatory stick is the only way to prevent roads from turning into killing fields until society respects the law as a public good and appreciates its role as a shield to protect our lives and limbs.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
Our hearts go out to the 19 passengers who perished in a terrible accident near Tiruppur city near Coimbatore early on Thursday. Woe befell the occupants of the Ernakulam-bound KSRTC bus when a 30-tonne truck hit the central median of the National Highway and the container it was carrying fell on the bus, crushing one side of the passenger vehicle. The driver’s folly of falling asleep while navigating the truck resulted in the tragedy. While the errant driver deserves punishment, the authorities would do well to compensate the victims and their families suitably.
N.J. Ravi Chander,
Bengaluru
