Unscientific road humps in Bengaluru cause deaths

Last week, a 51-year-old woman fell from a speeding motorbike and died on the spot after it hit a speed breaker.

This is not a stray case. Many two-wheeler injuries and deaths in Bengaluru are caused by badly built road humps.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ravikanthe Gowda says the police have made a list of unmarked, unpainted and unscientific road humps, and sent it to the BBMP.

“Unpainted humps, especially those on poor lit roads, cause fatal accidents. Two-wheeler riders are most prone to such fatality. About 60 per cent of such humps were either removed or rectified two years ago, but new ones have appeared,” he told Metrolife.

The BBMP must follow guidelines of the Indian Road Congress but that’s not being done, he said.

The paint on humps tends to fade over time and they must be repainted by the BBMP, but they aren’t doing periodic maintenance.

A senior traffic policeman says unpainted and unscientific road humps are not the only cause of road accidents and fatalities.

“Vehicles, especially two-wheeler riders, don’t follow speed limits. They speed up the moment they see free roads,” he says. Experts studying Bengaluru traffic are concerned deaths from vehicular accidents hover around 700 a year.

Humps should not cause accidents, but they do because Indian Road Congress specifications (see box) are ignored, says Ashish Varma, associate professor, transportation systems engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc).“Unfortunately, the specifications are only guidelines and they are not mandatory. That is why more people flout it than follow it. The presence of humps should be highlighted with signage, sentimental messages and symbols that create awareness among road users,” he says.

Officials with the BBMP were unavailable for any comment.