Just follow the rules to prevent accidents on highways

A bus that met with an accident on the Samruddhi highway and caught fire. File Pic/PTI

The accident figures for the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, connecting Mumbai to Nagpur and opening in phases, show lower fatalities in the first eight months of 2024 as compared to that of 2023 despite a 30 per cent rise in the number of vehicles plying the stretch.

While the number of fatal accidents has gone down by 10 per cent and fatalities by 33 per cent, official statistics show that the number of serious accidents has gone up by 25 per cent. However, the total number of accidents declined by 19 per cent.

Besides the figures, the important takeaways are what they are getting right in a bid to reduce accidents. Some of these can be applied to highways and expressways across.

Multi-coloured flags have been installed along the highway for visibility. Restrooms and break points have been set up on the highway. This can be done for all long-distance facilities for drivers, who need a break or have to use a restroom. Fatigue and exhaustion plus feeling sleepy can be extremely dangerous on long drives.

There have been Traffic Aid Posts (TAPs) set up along the way. With manpower, machine power is present, too. There are ambulances, Quick Response Vehicles (QRV), cranes and patrolling vehicles that have been deployed.

Following incidents of tyre burst, RTO officials have begun random vehicle inspections for the quality of tyres and air pressure and vitally, drivers failing sobriety checks are being prevented from entering the highway.

There are inspections if the vehicle has a backup driver, emergency exits, functional fire extinguishers and first aid kits. The human factor is equally important, there is counselling on seatbelt usage, speed limits and the importance of taking breaks.

Take from these guidelines, tweak them if needed but make it part of the road safety umbrella across the city.