On the onset of fresh terrorist blasts couple of days ago in Mumbai, I realize we are in an era when terrorists threaten the peace and integrity of our country and innocent public lives are at risk in the midst of this war on terror. However, for quite sometime now and even at this point, there is another dark threat looming which daily threatens the lives of innocent civilians. If you haven't guessed it yet, I'm referring to the deaths caused by Road Accidents in our cities. Infact no Indian city is safe enough and death due to road accidents in our country by far exceeds the count of deaths due to terrorist miscreants.
The victims are usually normal people like you and me, who leave home every morning intending to do a day's work and return home in the evening, except for the unfortunate ones who end up being a victim or should I say an unwilling martyr to our poor transport and traffic systems.
I live in Chennai, a city in a phase of economic spurt, a genuine metro in India and trying hard to break the shackles of poor infrastructure while trying to expand in all directions. Everytime some initiatives are taken, Chennai seems to enter a deeper recess, slowly crawling its way out albeit with the most damage done. Chennai traffic system was always poor and recently has fallen even deeper in standards, creating an environment conducive to fatal accidents. The problem is even more compounded thanks to the poor traffic sense of its road users.
As I wonder how many more lives have to be shed before the traffic and road conditions become user friendly, here's an account of fatal road accident this day onwards (15-Jul-2011) as published in THE HINDU. Being a Chennaiite, I would like to restrict my report within the Chennai city limits:
Total deaths (since 14-Jul-2011): 16
1. A 23 yr old software engineer was killed by a garbage truck which was coming in the wrong direction.
Date: 14-Jul-2011:
Location: Pallikaranai, Velachery Main Road,
Time: 09:30 am
Casualties: 1
2. Container lorry hits a car
Date: 31-Jul-2011
Location: 15th Main Road, Anna Nagar
Time: 04:30 am
Casualties: 1
3. Vehicle carrying 8 students collided with a Private Bus
Date: 05-Aug-2011
Location: ECR, Uthandi
Time: Evening
Casualties: 2
4. Father son duo killed as their Bus was hit by a MTC bus
Date: 06-Aug-2011
Location: Velachery Main Road, East Tambaram
Time: 07:45 am
Casualties: 2
5. Motorcycle hit by an unidentified vehicle
Date: 08-Aug-2011
Location: 200 ft Road, Chinna Mathur, near Madhavaram milk colony
Time: Evening
Casualties: 1
6. Motorcycle hit by lorry
Date: 12-Aug-2011
Location: Pallavaram, Thoraipakkam Radial road
Time: 1:30 pm
Casualties: 1
7. Woman (36) and Daughter (9) run over by lorry (rash and negligent driving by lorry driver)
Date: 17-Aug-2011
Location: Pattabiram, National Highway 205
Time: Morning School time
Casualties: 2
8. Pedestrian knocked down by speeding motorist
Date: 17-Aug-2011
Location: Avadi
Time: 9:00 pm
Casualties: 1
9. Man fatally knocked down by an unidentified vehicle
Date: 18-Aug-2011
Location: Neelankarai, ECR
Time: Night
Casualties: 1
10. 26 year old woman died when a speeding private bus hits a motorcycle she was travelling in.
Date: 02-Sep-2011
Location: Velachery Main Road, Pallikaranai
Time: Night
Casualties: 1
11. A Woman killed in road accident
Date: 16-Sep-2011
Location: Maduravoyal Bridge
Time: 7:00 pm
Casualities: 1
12. 2 friends knocked down by a van
Date: 16-Sep-2011
Location: Kamarajar Salai (Marina road)
Time: Dont know
Casualities: 2
