<p>Bengaluru: Accidents on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway fell to 12 in November from the high of 92 in May, data shows. </p>.<p>Fatalities in November fell to less than one-fourth of the number in May in the same period, from 28 in May to 6 in November, police data accessed by <em>DH</em> shows. </p>.<p>May was the deadliest month for users of the access-controlled road, which opened to the public on March 12. </p>.Traffic chokes Bengaluru roads on Christmas Eve.<p>Police attribute this fall to several reasons. </p>.<p>In July, Ramanagara police began to ramp up patrolling with newly acquired speed radar guns, which helped them keep speeding in check. A month later, National Highways of India (NHAI) officials clarified that the speed limit for the highway was 100 km/h, which helped police officers double down on violators. </p>.<p>Alok Kumar, current Additional Director General of Police (Training) and the former ADGP (Traffic and Road Safety), Karnataka, pointed out that the ban on two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, tractors, and non-motorised vehicles on the highway since August as a major reason for this fall. </p>.<p>“Since two-wheeler riders made up about 50-60% of the fatalities, banning their entry onto the highway has contributed to the fall in overall accident numbers,” he said. </p>.<p>Police in Ramanagara, Mandya, and Mysuru — where the highway snakes through — also took up patrolling for speeding and lane violations, booking heavy vehicle drivers driving on the right lane. </p>.<p>Kumar highlighted that the increased awareness about police patrolling on the highway and the media attention has also helped drivers exercise caution. “We took conscious efforts to bring crashes and fatalities down on the highway, to dispel the notion that was built in the first few months that it is a ‘death trap’,” he said. </p>.<p>The present ADGP for Traffic and Road Safety, Seemanth Kumar Singh, explained that speeding has come down on the highway, which could also be why the fatalities have fallen to single digits. “With speed radar guns, we are regularly patrolling the highway and ensuring people are not going beyond 100 km/h. This has also reduced the risk of accidents,” he said. </p>.<p>Police have been booking drivers for crossing the speed limit along the highway. In the July-September quarter, Ramanagara police registered a total of 3,417 cases against drivers violating the speed limit while Mandya police booked a total of 1,859 people for speeding on the highway.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Accidents on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway fell to 12 in November from the high of 92 in May, data shows. </p>.<p>Fatalities in November fell to less than one-fourth of the number in May in the same period, from 28 in May to 6 in November, police data accessed by <em>DH</em> shows. </p>.<p>May was the deadliest month for users of the access-controlled road, which opened to the public on March 12. </p>.Traffic chokes Bengaluru roads on Christmas Eve.<p>Police attribute this fall to several reasons. </p>.<p>In July, Ramanagara police began to ramp up patrolling with newly acquired speed radar guns, which helped them keep speeding in check. A month later, National Highways of India (NHAI) officials clarified that the speed limit for the highway was 100 km/h, which helped police officers double down on violators. </p>.<p>Alok Kumar, current Additional Director General of Police (Training) and the former ADGP (Traffic and Road Safety), Karnataka, pointed out that the ban on two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, tractors, and non-motorised vehicles on the highway since August as a major reason for this fall. </p>.<p>“Since two-wheeler riders made up about 50-60% of the fatalities, banning their entry onto the highway has contributed to the fall in overall accident numbers,” he said. </p>.<p>Police in Ramanagara, Mandya, and Mysuru — where the highway snakes through — also took up patrolling for speeding and lane violations, booking heavy vehicle drivers driving on the right lane. </p>.<p>Kumar highlighted that the increased awareness about police patrolling on the highway and the media attention has also helped drivers exercise caution. “We took conscious efforts to bring crashes and fatalities down on the highway, to dispel the notion that was built in the first few months that it is a ‘death trap’,” he said. </p>.<p>The present ADGP for Traffic and Road Safety, Seemanth Kumar Singh, explained that speeding has come down on the highway, which could also be why the fatalities have fallen to single digits. “With speed radar guns, we are regularly patrolling the highway and ensuring people are not going beyond 100 km/h. This has also reduced the risk of accidents,” he said. </p>.<p>Police have been booking drivers for crossing the speed limit along the highway. In the July-September quarter, Ramanagara police registered a total of 3,417 cases against drivers violating the speed limit while Mandya police booked a total of 1,859 people for speeding on the highway.</p>