Roads are not enough; road culture must improve too

The vehicle accidents that occurred in various parts of Kerala this weekend have heightened concerns about road safety in the state. Eleven people lost their lives in two accidents in Thrissur district. Around midnight on Friday, a car collided with a lorry that was parked on National Highway 66 near Panambikunnu in Kaipamangalam, Thrissur, killing eight students from Tamil Nadu at the spot. The following day, Saturday, at almost the same time around midnight, a speeding car hit a motorcycle that had been parked by the roadside, killing three people, including a couple and their son. In both incidents, all the victims had died before rescue personnel could reach the scene. On Sunday, two people were killed in a collision between a car and a lorry on the national highway in Malappuram; a young man lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Wandoor; and a young woman was killed when a car crashed into an electric post on the Punalur–Muvattupuzha road. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the human toll on Kerala's roads is comparable to the casualties of a war. Consider just the figures for the past year. Nearly 50,000 vehicle accidents occurred in Kerala in 2025. As many as 3,733 people were killed, an average of around 10 people every day. Another 56,922 people were injured. In other words, the lives of that many people, as well as those around them, are plunged into hardship.

Instead of rushing to the scene every time an accident occurs, the authorities should put in place mechanisms to prevent people from being driven into further accidents. There have already been complaints that the development works on National Highway 66 in Thrissur are being carried out without adequate safety warnings. Different companies undertaking the National Highway construction work have been putting in place different safety arrangements. There are companies that show negligence in installing proper signboards, speed-control measures and indicators at construction sites and locations where traffic is diverted. Similar complaints have also been raised earlier from Thrissur district. When a major accident occurred in Nattika, company officials had assured that the issue would be resolved, but nothing came of those assurances. Apart from the loss of lives, several people continue to undergo hospital treatment after sustaining serious injuries when vehicles fall into potholes and ditches. At the same time, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) claims that the conditions at the site were not responsible for the Kaipamangalam accident. The authority states that comprehensive safety arrangements had already been put in place at the accident site. It also says that warning boards, barricades, traffic cones, reflectors and other safety measures had been installed at specified distances before the point where traffic was diverted.

Road accidents cannot be prevented merely by the authorities making an effort. At Kaipamangalam, the car crashed into the rear of a lorry parked in the speed track of the national highway. In the Kunnamkulam accident, the car that hit a motorcycle parked by the roadside so that its rider could make a phone call was being driven by a person who was drunk. At least four of the above-mentioned accidents occurred during journeys around midnight. All this shows that people can be protected from accidents only if the civic sense, road culture and traffic awareness of travellers also improve. Although there are instructions such as not driving after consuming alcohol, using seat belts and helmets, and not driving without taking rest when one feels sleepy or drowsy, the general tendency is not to follow any of them. It should also be noted that although highway patrols and night patrols are being conducted, none of this is reducing accidents. The reality is that, beyond attempts to plug loopholes at places where complaints have been raised, comprehensive safety systems suited to the increasing number of vehicles and the growing prevalence of travel at all hours have not yet been put in place. It is the responsibility of the authorities to provide an immediate solution to this. As roads are developed and widened, the minds and attitudes of those who drive on them must also broaden. Giving priority to others and making the necessary compromises must become part of travel etiquette. Those who drive after consuming alcohol or drugs must be apprehended in accordance with the law and given stringent punishment. Habits that invite accidents during journeys, from travel fatigue and sleepiness to careless mobile phone use must be avoided. Traffic awareness must encompass everyone, from the authorities responsible for imparting it to pedestrians. Only when those who use the roads and those responsible for ensuring their safety exercise equal and strict vigilance as the roads change can Kerala escape the misfortune of its roads turning into killing fields.