District Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Zaibunnisa speaks during National Road Safety Month programme organised by the Mangaluru City Police in Mangaluru onTuesday.
Credit: DH Photo
Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said that it has been decided to barricade the median along national highway stretches within the commissionerate limits to ensure pedestrians cross roads only at zebra crossings.
Speaking at the National Road Safety Month programme organised by the Mangaluru City Police on Tuesday, he said that out of 171 accident-related deaths reported in 2025 within the Mangaluru Commissionerate limits, 67 were pedestrians, while 249 pedestrians sustained injuries. To prevent pedestrians from crossing highways through the median, barricading work has been initiated and the process is underway.
He further stated that 82 two-wheeler riders died in road accidents during the same period. A total of 1,213 persons suffered injuries, of whom 627 were two-wheeler riders. Last year, 698 cases of drunken driving were booked.
In view of the rise in violations related to underage riding and drunken driving and causing accidents, the Commissioner said police personnel have been instructed to book cases under sections related to culpable homicide.
He also expressed concern over attempts by some people to communalise road accidents in the district despite loss of lives, stating that such behaviour cannot be accepted. He urged motorists to be cautious and strictly follow traffic rules.
KMC Hospital neurosurgeon Dr Arjun Shetty said road accident injuries not only cause physical suffering but also financially cripple entire families. He stressed the need for zero tolerance towards drunken driving, stating that consuming alcohol “once in a while” cannot be an excuse. He also called for stricter norms for renewal of driving licences for people aged 60 to 65 years and above.
Director and actor Devadas Kapikad appealed to the public to work in coordination with the police department by adhering to traffic rules.
District Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Zaibunnisa said an average of 4.5 lakh accidents occur every year in the country, resulting in around 1.6 lakh deaths. She noted that the majority of accidents are caused due to driver negligence and emphasised the need for greater awareness about traffic rules.
DCP (Crime and Traffic) Ravi Shankar said that a total of 43,130 accidents were reported in Karnataka in 2025, claiming 10,625 lives. As both national and state highways pass through Mangaluru, the number of accidents is comparatively higher. Over the past three years, the city has recorded an average of 1,020 accidents annually. As many as 15 accident-prone black spots have been identified, and corrective measures are being implemented. CCTV cameras have been installed at 28 locations to strengthen traffic enforcement and monitoring.
Last year, a total of 2,43,500 traffic violation cases were booked and fines amounting to Rs 9.5 crore were collected. Proposals for improvement of major junctions have been submitted to the Mangaluru City Corporation to ease traffic movement.
Traffic wardens Francis Moras, Hassan, Roshan Roy Sequeira, Boobanna, Ramesh Kavoor, Basheer Haleyangady, and constable Mansida Banu were felicitated on the occasion. Helmets were also symbolically distributed to riders found travelling without helmets.