Complete disregard for safety

There are more than 60 lakh vehicles running on Bangalore roads. This comprises those that are registered in Bangalore City and those registered in other cities. 

It is therefore not surprising that during peak hours, the roads are jam-packed. 

The bumper-to-bumper movement of vehicles constantly leads to rear-end collisions. 

 

These small collisions can cause minor injuries, which the doctors in the City warn must be taken note of. 

 

The Bangalore traffic police claim that they have identified a few problematic junctions across the City and has suggested to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for  construction of either an elevated flyover or widening of roads, wherever necessary. 

 

Metrolife interacted with traffic authorities, doctors and ordinary people to understand why cases of minor injuries are so common. 

B Dayananda, additional commissioner of police (traffic), points out that minor injuries usually go unrecorded. He observes that the narrow roads are the main cause for such small collisions.

 

“What is required is a multi-pronged approach to manage the increasing traffic in the City. More flyovers and elevated roads will ease the situation. We have suggested an elevated flyover from Mekhri Circle to Windsor Manor junction, Silk Board junction and we have also identified a few solutions at the KR Puram Bridge,” states Dayananda.  

Dr Gururaj from the department of epidemiology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), who researches and works on topics related to road safety, notes that the severity of an injury depends on the impact of the accident. He says that minor injuries must never be ignored. 

“The extent of damage in an accident depends on the size of the vehicle, speed and personal safety devices. 

 

Studies have proved that, for instance, if there are 35 fatal injuries, there would be at least 70 minor injuries,” reasons Gururaj. 

 

He notes, “Minor injuries always have long-term repercussions. We have seen cases where minor head injuries have triggered irritations, dementia and headache. It could cause serious health issues and unleash social and economic problems as well.”  

 

Bangaloreans find small collisions extremely exasperating. 

They say that not only is the traffic in the City pretty mismanaged but the roads are also not wide enough to bear the increasing traffic. 

Parvathy, an employee of Wipro, thinks that people become selfish when they hit the roads. 

 

“Looks like everybody is in a hurry all the time. People don’t care to be patient or even follow traffic rules. That’s why you find vehicles bumping into each other,” she says. Sunitha Nagaraj, a housewife and resident of Marathahalli, senses a lot of indifference on the roads.

 

“There are people who purposely bump into another vehicle, especially if the vehicle is driven by a woman. That kind of behaviour is intolerable,” she says.  

 

Sujatha, a resident of Rajajinagar who travels to MG Road quite often, is of the opinion that people must take to carpooling in a serious way. 

 

“The roads aren’t wide enough for people to overtake and why should people bring their vehicles out on a working day. This could go a long way in preventing minor injuries,” she notes. 

 

Sharing her own experience, Sanah, a professional, says, “I’ve had four-wheelers bump into my vehicle several times. People don’t care for their safety and for the safety of others,” she sums up.