Chennai road fatality: 361 pedestrians died in 2018
Sindhu Kannan | TNN | Updated: Mar 13, 2019, 09:04 IST
Pedestrians cross over on Rajiv Gandhi Salai in Thiruvanmiyur amid heavy traffic. Tamil Nadu may have recorded a decline in road fatalities last year when compared to 2017, but still 361 pedestrians were killed in road accidents in Chennai in 2,030 accidents.
In Chennai, the number of deaths came down from 423 in 2017, but the number of accidents remained the same at 2,030, almost. This indicated that city roads were not pedestrian-friendly and a lot was required in terms of infrastructure and policies that would make roads safer for pedestrians, said experts.
Among the stretches, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), dotted with IT firms and educational institutions, witnessed the highest number of accidents. Twenty-nine pedestrians were killed in 122 accidents involving speeding vehicles last year here. On Grand Northern Trunk Road and Poonamallee High Road, there were 76 and 69 accidents in which 78 people lost their lives. Arterial stretches such as Grand South Trunk Road, Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road, Velachery Main Road, ECR and Anna Salai were equally hazardous for pedestrians.
A senior officer from the Chennai traffic police put the blame on unruly pedestrians for the hig number of casualties.
“We did an analysis to find out the reasons for these accidents. In most cases, pedestrians tried to cross a road without waiting for the signal to turn red and sometimes crossed stretches at unauthorised points. Some of the victims tried to squeeze through the gaps in the medians and got hit by motorists as they crossed the road.”
Though foot over-bridges were available, most did not use them, particularly senior citizens and children, the official said.
But residents said the bridges were steep and climbing the steps was cumbersome. “It is difficult to climb 30 to 40 steps which are steep. A better design or escalator will encourage many to use these facilities,” said D Chandrasekar, a senior citizen from Taramani.
Aswathy Dilip from Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) said sometimes subways and foot over-bridges seldom help pedestrians. “Contrary to popular belief, these are not pedestrian-friendly but car-friendly infrastructure. They are built so that cars can speed signal-free while pedestrians are put to inconvenience. The mobility of elderly citizens is obstructed. It is not surprising that most people prefer to cross at the street level putting their lives at risk,” she said.
Aswathy said medians should have pedestrian refuges big enough to let people wait safely while crossing the road. “Crossings should have exclusive signals for pedestrians where conflict is high. The signals should be long enough, typically 30 seconds, for pedestrians to safely cross the full width of the carriageway,” she said.
In Chennai, the number of deaths came down from 423 in 2017, but the number of accidents remained the same at 2,030, almost. This indicated that city roads were not pedestrian-friendly and a lot was required in terms of infrastructure and policies that would make roads safer for pedestrians, said experts.
Among the stretches, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), dotted with IT firms and educational institutions, witnessed the highest number of accidents. Twenty-nine pedestrians were killed in 122 accidents involving speeding vehicles last year here. On Grand Northern Trunk Road and Poonamallee High Road, there were 76 and 69 accidents in which 78 people lost their lives. Arterial stretches such as Grand South Trunk Road, Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road, Velachery Main Road, ECR and Anna Salai were equally hazardous for pedestrians.
A senior officer from the Chennai traffic police put the blame on unruly pedestrians for the hig number of casualties.
“We did an analysis to find out the reasons for these accidents. In most cases, pedestrians tried to cross a road without waiting for the signal to turn red and sometimes crossed stretches at unauthorised points. Some of the victims tried to squeeze through the gaps in the medians and got hit by motorists as they crossed the road.”
Though foot over-bridges were available, most did not use them, particularly senior citizens and children, the official said.
But residents said the bridges were steep and climbing the steps was cumbersome. “It is difficult to climb 30 to 40 steps which are steep. A better design or escalator will encourage many to use these facilities,” said D Chandrasekar, a senior citizen from Taramani.
Aswathy Dilip from Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) said sometimes subways and foot over-bridges seldom help pedestrians. “Contrary to popular belief, these are not pedestrian-friendly but car-friendly infrastructure. They are built so that cars can speed signal-free while pedestrians are put to inconvenience. The mobility of elderly citizens is obstructed. It is not surprising that most people prefer to cross at the street level putting their lives at risk,” she said.
Aswathy said medians should have pedestrian refuges big enough to let people wait safely while crossing the road. “Crossings should have exclusive signals for pedestrians where conflict is high. The signals should be long enough, typically 30 seconds, for pedestrians to safely cross the full width of the carriageway,” she said.
All Comments ()+^ Back to Top
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.
HIDE