Highways hide deathtrap for pedestrians

Kochi: The national highways running through the state are turning out to be deathtraps for pedestrians, who accounted for one-third of all deaths in road accidents last year.
“Of the 4,258 people who died in road accidents last year, as many as 1388 were pedestrians. They included those hit by vehicles in collisions, those run over by vehicles out of  control and also those hit by oncoming vehicles while crossing the road. Most of these mishaps took place on the national highways,” said an official of the state crime records bureau.
In fact, of the 35, 215 mishaps on roads, as many as 8, 911 took place on the national highways. The alarming figures have forced  experts to call for an awareness drive , but an under-staffed highway police says it  will not be easy when it doesn’t have enough men for regular duties . “We need a man for every seven kilometers of the highway. In all, eight personnel need to work round- the- clock in two shifts. There is no manpower to conduct activities like an awareness campaign,” said a police officer.
A pilot awareness project conducted in Ernakulam rural in 2009 under former Road Safety Council member and traffic expert, Upendra Narayan had paid rich dividends. “We conducted the drive for 10 months and that year, the death toll in mishaps fell to  11 from  30 in 2008, 20 in 2010 and 43 in 2011 . This proves that safety tips can help,” said Mr Narayanan.