Rising road accident deaths in Kerala: Police, Motor Vehicles department to launch special traffic enforcement drive

The police and MVD enforcers will use field test kits to examine drivers for alcohol and drug impairment. Drivers who violate traffic norms would face steep fines and other penalties, including licence cancellation or suspension and, in extreme cases, short prison sentences.
| Photo Credit: LEJU KAMAL

Given the mounting public concern about the rising number of road accident fatalities in Kerala, the State police, in conjunction with the State Motor Vehicles department (MVD), is set to commence an intense traffic enforcement drive starting Monday (December 16, 2024).

Manoj Abraham, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, who is scheduled to chair a top-level meeting of traffic enforcers later in the day, told The Hindu that the police would significantly increase their “visible presence” on the roads, especially at night.

The police and MVD enforcers would use field test kits to examine drivers for alcohol and drug impairment. Drivers who violate traffic norms would face steep fines and other penalties, including licence cancellation or suspension and, in extreme cases, short prison sentences.

Leading accident causes

Mr. Abraham said alcohol-impaired driving, motorists’ negligence, sleep distraction, speeding, use of mobile phones, haphazard overnight parking on roadsides, and lack of lane discipline were the leading causes of the recent spree of accidents which claimed several lives, primarily those of pedestrians, in the past fortnight.

He noted that the accident rate has increased despite better vehicle safety features and attributed the fatalities largely to driver error.

(According to State’s Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) figures, as many as 3,168 persons were killed and 45,567 injured in 40,821 accidents till October 2024. Moreover, there was a nearly 10% increase in road accidents in Kerala in 2023 compared to the previous year. Kerala, arguably, reports the highest number of road accidents after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.)

Mr. Abraham said law-enforcers would deploy vehicle-mounted speed detection radars and cameras to prosecute drivers who violate the legal speed limit, especially near educational institutions and busy pedestrian crossings. Such mobile enforcement units would cover traffic surveillance blind spots.

Boots-on-the-ground enforcement

Mr. Abraham said the accent was on “boots-on-the-ground traffic enforcement” during the Christmas-New Year partying season when night-time traffic accidents were likely to peak.

However, law-enforcers face substantial challenges, especially in localities with narrow roads, sharp curves, and perilous potholed surfaces. Pavements to prevent pedestrians from conflict with vehicular traffic are few and far between.

Pedestrian safety

In several cities, street vendors have appropriated a significant portion of the scant pavement space, forcing pedestrians onto vehicle-dense carriageways.

An official said helmetless two-wheeler riders, and vans and mini-buses without seat belts remained a legion in suburban localities. He said livestock straying into busy roads was a risk to motorists in rural areas.

Challenges ahead

The Kerala government has found it challenging to remove old vehicles well past their operational prime from the roads. Moreover, installing crash barriers on accident-prone stretches, increasing traffic signage, mitigating accident black spots, and enhancing the sparse network of fenced-off pedestrian pathways entailed significant infrastructure investment.

The MVD also reportedly planned to retrain drivers of commercial vehicles, including passenger buses and trucks

It would also make driving license tests more scientific and strict and lessen the chance of obtaining such permits through bribery and intermediaries.