Road accidents involving youths on the rise in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Jan 20: Cases of road mishaps involving youths are on the rise. A comparison with last year’s data revealed that the number of accident cases treated at MGM Medical College and Hospitals had gone up in all but one of the first five months this year.

According to information the number of fatal accidents is more on the 8-km stretch between Bistupur, Sakchi and Mango. Most fatal accidents occur between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. A majority of them (close to 50 per cent) involve pedestrians.

 Concerned over the rash-driving by the heavy vehicles and fatal mishaps taking place repeatedly in the city, district police also convened a meeting of the traffic police officials.

  “Something has to be done to reduce the speed of vehicles near human habitations. There is no use in putting up boards showing speed limits or marking accident prone zones. The road has not improved our lives beyond providing better connectivity,” said Mohammed Nizam of Mango.

“We will see to it that rash-driving is checked with immediate effect, and for this we will look into exactly how many cases related to the road accidents have been registered and if the drivers who are accused of causing the mishap are being convicted,” said a police official.

He revealed that he would make the traffic police officers and also those posted in the police stations across the steel city to ensure that drunk driving is checked completely by pressing the necessary testing equipment immediately after a mishap takes place.

Another senior police officer also pointed out that he was going to curtail the rash-driving by the two-wheelers, especially the youngsters.  He said he would stress whether the investigation into the cases related to the road mishaps were being pursued properly or

In another mishap two men were seriously injured as the bike they were riding was hit by another biker near Jubilee Park gate under Bistupur police station area at about 11.30 am.  The biker, a youth in his mid-twenties, who caused the mishap, had also fallen down with the bike, but he escaped unhurt as he had put on a helmet. 

The rising cases of road accidents in the city are a matter of great concern. The over-speeding of vehicles is one of the prime reasons for the rising mishap but the absence of traffic police and poor road conditions are equally to be blamed. Though the Road Trans-port Authority from time to time organises Road Safety Week, it is said to have served no purpose as there is no mechanism to control over-speeding of vehicles under city limits.