Licence to kill for vehicles in Kerala roads

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralites are paying heavily with their lives for rash and drunk driving as there is an alarming rise in the number of deaths on the state’s roads which are virtual death traps.Compared to 2010, road deaths have been shooting up in 2011 with the toll reaching 2,132 in just six months while the total number of deaths in 2010 was 3,950.With an average of 100 accidents taking place every day in the state this year, statistics released by the state police department here on Monday points out that 12 people died every day in the state this year in road mishaps.So far this year, Thrissur recorded the maximum deaths at 278 followed closely by Kochi 267 and Thiruvananthapuram 235.A total of 17,917 road mishaps have taken place in the state in which a total of 12,872 people suffered grievous injuries.In Palakkad, the total number of deaths in road accidents was 208 followed by Kollam 203 , Alappuzha 200 and Kozhikode 161. In Kottayam, the number was 111 and in Pathanamthitta 96.The maximum number of accidents has taken place in Ernakulam with the district registering 2,695 accidents and Thiruvananthapuram 2,161 followed by Thrissur 2,013. In 2010, a total of 35,082 road mishaps were reported in which 24,994 people were grievously injured.Of the total accidents in the state, 11,892 involved twowheelers and in 5,103 mishaps, cars were involved. A whopping 2,625 buses were involved in the mishaps with private buses topping the list at 1,952 against the KSRTC’s 673.About 1,186 lorries and 1,018 mini lorries/ buses were also involved in accidents during the same period. In 2010, 23,057 two-wheeler accidents, 41,77 private buses and 1,286 involving KSRTC buses took place.Rash driving was the cause of 17,402 accidents and drunken driving accounted for only 49 while other reasons are accounted for 466 accidents. Rash driving which accounted for accidents was highest in Ernakulam, 2,627, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 2,024.The highest number of two-wheeler accidents during the period was in Ernakulam, 1,950, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 1,732 and Kozhikode and Thrissur registering 1,353 each.The statistics reveal that in National Highways, 4,848 accidents occurred during the period while 3,253 accidents occurred on the State Highways and 9,816 on other roads. The highest number of accidents on National Highways took place in Ernakulam district, 697, while Alappuzha saw 611 followed by Thiruvananthapuram 524.Out of the total number of accidents, 13,273 occurred during day time and 4,644 during night.