Chennai, Feb 13 Three people, including a ten-year-old boy, died in a road accident at Theni in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. The accident involved a tempo traveller and a private bus, police said.
According to the police, the deceased were travelling to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Swami temple in Kerala from Hosur, Tamil Nadu, when the accident occurred on the Theni bypass road.
Two of the deceased have been identified as Kanishk (10) and Nagaraj (34), while the third victim is yet to be identified. The injured were taken to Theni Government Hospital for further treatment.
Despite this tragic incident, Tamil Nadu has recorded a significant reduction in fatal road accidents.
Compared to the previous year, road accident deaths in the state decreased by 273 in 2024. Authorities attribute this decline to corrective measures at accident-prone zones (black spots), stricter enforcement of traffic rules, and intensive action against drunken driving.
State Police Chief Sankar Jiwal recently stated that despite the rising human and vehicular population, as well as the expansion of road networks, the Tamil Nadu Police have undertaken several impactful initiatives to enhance road safety.
In 2023, Tamil Nadu reported 18,347 deaths in 17,526 fatal road accidents. In 2024, these numbers declined to 18,074 deaths in 17,282 fatal accidents.
A study of fatal accidents in 2023 revealed that driver error was responsible for 16,800 out of 17,526 incidents. To reduce accidents, the Highway Patrol Mobile Application has been extensively used to raise awareness and enforce road safety rules.
Additionally, police conducted a field survey to identify 6,165 black spots, assessing ground conditions based on vehicle density, traffic environment, and accident history. In collaboration with the State Highways Department, safety engineering measures were implemented, including speed reduction at 3,165 locations.
Most cities and districts in Tamil Nadu have since reported a decline in road accidents. Life-Saving Interventions Highway patrol vehicles have played a crucial role in saving lives, rescuing 12,629 critically injured accident victims and ensuring they received medical attention within the golden hour.
Apart from enforcing traffic laws to deter reckless driving, authorities have conducted thousands of awareness programs to educate the public on responsible road use.
--IANS
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