Yesterday's roads; today's vehicles and drivers in a hurry!

Within just 18 days of the new year, 11 people have lost their lives in various mishaps in the city.

This was informed by DCP (Crime and traffic) P Rajendra Prasad at an awareness programme organised for Indian Railway Technical Supervisors Association (IRTSA), here on Tuesday.

And, if you thought that majority riders or drivers lose lives in mishaps, you are wrong. Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable to accidents. This is evident with highest of 52 pedestrians losing their lives in 2010, against 42 vehicle riders.

The DCP said, it has become a fad for most of the parents to woo their offsprings with lucrative gifts, especially motorcycles, if he or she came out with flying colours in the academics. As a result, youths who wouldn’t have even completed 18 years to obtain a driving license as per the norms, hit streets vrooming away in motorcycles, and in some cases cars too.

The general tendency among the people on road, especially vehicle users, is to quickly jump a red signal light, during the absence of cops. Said Rajendra Prasad: “It’s always said that the cops arrive after deaths, but in the case of Mysore police, we are going to the people to prevent he or she from inviting any tragedy, telling them about do’s and don’ts”.

Quoting an adage, the police officer said ‘We have roads of yesterday, vehicles of today and drivers of tomorrow’. He appealed to the parents to be equally responsible in making their wards follow the rules.

Replying to a query, he rubbished laying of road humps to check untoward incidents. He cited the example of Kolkata that doesn’t have a single road hump. The police officer said ‘the riders should be road conscious’.

South Western Railways (SWR), Mysore, Chief Workshop Manager, P K Purohit said educated people should rein in unruly people. Most of the road accidents occur due to one’s own mistakes, but heavy vehicles involved in the cases are booked.

He lauded the city traffic police in taking up awareness programmes.

Deputy Chief Workshop Manager Prakash Chowdhury, IRTSA President Manjegowda, ACP (Traffic) Shankaregowda and others were present.