The state's highways have turned into death traps as drivers refuse to adhere to speed limits and ignore traffic rules. With the shocking figures of 3-4 road accidents every day in the city, the police have mooted the idea of using speed-checkers, which use an advanced, radar-based technology, to check speeding vehicles.
A Good Samaritan driver, who was stepping out of his truck to help two motorists who had met with an accident, was run over by an unknown speeding vehicle on NICE Road on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old driver, who was killed on the road near Kengeri last Tuesday, is the latest victim of hit-and-run cases on the stretch.
NICE Road has seen a number of high-speed accidents and many lives have been lost, despite the traffic police department’s move to keep speeding vehicles under check, police officers said.
NICE Road has been an issue of concern for the traffic department for long, said Anupam Agrawal, DCP Traffic (East). “The stretch is vast. Despite deploying our men on the road, erecting signages and installing interceptors, accidents continue to take place. The department is thinking of various measures to control speeding vehicles. But the area is vast and falls under three jurisdictions of Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru City traffic police.”
Experts pointed out that the absence of policemen and proper lighting lead to accidents. Another police officer from the Electronics City police station said that accidents occur because of drivers’ utter disregard for traffic rules.
On an average, NICE Road sees three to four fatal accidents and over a dozen non-fatal accidents a month, said a senior traffic police official.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic (east), Anupam Agrawal, said, “The department has finalised 50 spots where speed-checkers will be installed. Early this year the proposal was sent and it has been finalised. By next month-end, the 50 selected spots or dark spots will have speed-checkers installed.”
The officer said, “The most notorious is the K.R. Puram stretch because of heavy movement of traffic. K.R. Puram, Devanahalli, Kengeri, Electronics City, Banaswadi, Hebbal, Magadi Road, Chikkajala, Ballari Road, Yelahanka and Yeshwanthpur are some of the 50 spots identified for installing speed checkers.”
