The central government has sanctioned 2,776 km of national highways since the formation of Telangana, but experts fear this would only add to the high accident and death rate on highways if road safety measures are not properly implemented.
Telangana currently has 2,527 km of national highways, which account for just 10% of the road network under the roads and buildings department. But these stretches have gained notoriety and account for 30% of the total deaths in accidents in the state in 2016. They also recorded 26% of the total accidents last year. Even the accident rate was high, with 225 accidents for every 100 km.
What needs revision is the driving licence test pattern, said Vinod Kumar Kanumala, chief functionary of Indian Federation of Road Safety. “In India, driving licence is issued based on a test on a designed driving track. This is not enough. In foreign countries, a police officer sits with applicants and observes their driving in high density traffic,” he said.
Highways being constructed are of good quality and though the speed limit is restricted to 80 kmph, motorists zip even at 120-140 kmph. “There is a lack of sufficient checking and patrolling on highways. There is hardly any enforcement against drink driving, overloading and speeding on highways, the three main causes of accidents. It is high time that the state government clears the file to set up the proposed road safety department,” Kanumala said.
Date: March 04, 2017