Death traps spotted: Most accident-prone areas in Hyderabad’s ourskirts
More than 70 accidents were reported and 22 people were killed in two months
Hyderabad: Rajendranagar, Petbasheerabad, Vanasthalipuram, Malkajgiri, and Shamshabad divisions are the most accident-prone areas in the city’s outskirts.
The number of fatal accidents is very high in these places as compared to the twin cities. More than 70 accidents were reported and 22 people were killed in two months in each division.
Traffic cops say since the state highway, national highway and the ORR pass through these areas, the number of mishaps is alarmingly high.
According to Cyberabad police records, Petbasheerabad ACP division tops the list with the most number of major accidents. There were 71 accidents and 25 deaths in December and January at Shamirpet, Dundigal, Medchal and Petbasheerabad.
“In Medchal, there are a few black spots we are now paying attention to. One is just after the Kompally flyover, where several bikes met with accidents due to the faulty design. Another accident-prone stretch is between Sujithra and Kompally. In this 8-km stretch, the road divider is so small that commuters go over it to cross the road, avoiding U-turns. This leads to many accidents,” said Balanagar Traffic ACP G.V. Shyam Sunder Reddy, who is in-charge of the division.
He added that the police had written to the National Highways Authority to rectify the problems in road design.
He said that with the increasing number of accidents, they have deployed patrolling vehicles at Shamirpet road. “The main issue in Shamirpet is rash driving; curbing speed is very important to cut down the accidents,” the ACP said.
Also, the chances of accident victims getting medical help in the golden hour are very less in the city’s outskirts. The major reason for this is other commuters’ reluctance to help mishap victims and the distance to hospitals from the accident spot.
According to a survey conducted for Save Life Foundation (SLF), an organisation that works in the road safety sector, among 1,027 road-users in Hyderabad and other cities in India, 74 per cent of bystanders and passers-by are not ready to help a seriously injured accident victim.
“Eighty-eight per cent of the people cited fear of legal complications, including repeated police inquiry and attending courts as the reason. More than 75 per cent people blamed the attitude of private hospital staff towards the person helping the accident victim, like asking to pay the bill even before finishing the treatment,” said officials from SLF.