Thiruvallom turns out to be an accident black spot

Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvallom has turned out to be an accident black spot in the city.
As per the figures released by the city police on Monday, 65 accidents occurred within Thiruvallom police limits in 2022 and 11 people lost their lives. Of the total accidents, 33 occurred on the highway claiming eight lives.
Barely a week after the New Year began, the stretch has witnessed five accidents and one death. The latest accident occurred on Sunday night. A mini-container truck from Thiruvallom to Kovalam collided head on with a two-wheeler. Kharis Khan, 25, who was employed in a hotel at Thiruvallom, died in the accident.
Police said Khan did not wear a helmet. Following the collision, the bike got stuck to the truck and was dragged on for around 30m and it caught fire. The truck driver and his aide fled the scene after the accident. Police have registered a case against the driver.
Preliminary probe has revealed that Ratheesh, a resident of Koyilandy in Kozhikode, drove the truck. Police have intensified the search to arrest him.
Motorists do not use the ring road and enter the bypass road, violating rules, leading to accidents at Thiruvallom, police said.
The city had reported 1,823 accidents in 2022 claiming 165 lives. In 2023, 78 accidents were reported in the city and four people were killed. The commissioner said that special checks would be conducted on highway roads to spot container trucks violating road rules. Besides, patrolling will be intensified in all roads and strict action, including cancellation of licence, will be initiated against violators.
Despite intensive awareness drives, two-wheeler riders seldom wear helmets which add to chances of fatality, officials pointed out. In 2022, the police and motor vehicles department had stepped up vigil on the road to check bike racing, another major cause of accidents. Two youths were killed after their motorcycles collided head-on at the bypass at Mukkola near Vizhinjam.
The videos showed two youths speeding along the road and ramming straight into each other. They were hurled onto the road under the impact of the accident.