Mysuru City has 12 Black Spots

Mysore/Mysuru: With Mysuru city expanding, the number of vehicles are also increasing day-by-day. Despite the Police Department creating awareness among motorists on following traffic rules for their safety, the number of road accidents have not come down, if we go by the latest statistics.

From Jan. 1, 2021 till Oct. 27, 2021, a total of 515 accidents have been reported at all Traffic Police Station limits across the city. In 99 serious accident cases, 102 persons have lost their lives and 452 people have suffered serious injuries in 416 non-serious accident cases with many losing their limbs, making them permanently disabled.

More number of road accidents are taking place on Nanjangud Road, T.Narasipur Road, Hunsur Road, Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway and Outer Ring Road near Dattagalli. These accidents are attributed to motorists not wearing helmets, seat belts, speaking over mobile phone while riding, drunken, rash or negligent driving.

According to sources, the number of accidents have increased during nights as the Traffic Police have suspended drunk driving checking since about two years following COVID-19 pandemic. Also, roads filled with potholes, unscientifically installed road humps, no warning boards at accidents spots, parking in ‘No Parking’ zones and driving vehicles in one-way roads were causes for the number of accidents to go up, Police sources said.

City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta has urged the public to strictly follow traffic rules to prevent accidents.

It may be recalled,  MP Pratap Simha, speaking at Airport Consultative Committee (ACC) meeting in November last year, had said that frequent accidents were taking place at Bogadi Ring Road, T. Narasipur, Nanjangud and KRS Road junctions.

“There is an urgent need to build either underpass or flyover to check road mishaps. The Central Government has earmarked Rs. 30 crore for each ‘black spot’ to prevent mishaps. It will be possible to construct underpass or flyover if Cops declare those accident spots as ‘black spots’,” Pratap Simha had stated.

What is a Black Spot?

In road safety management, an accident black spot or a black spot is a place where road traffic accidents have historically been concentrated. It may have occurred for a variety of reasons, such as a sharp drop or corner in a straight road where oncoming traffic is concealed, a hidden junction on a fast road, poor or concealed warning signs at cross-roads. In any given 500-metre stretch, if there are more than 10 accidents in three years that have resulted in three to five deaths or five to 10 persons sustaining serious injuries, such places are called black spots, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.S. Gangadharaswamy.

Mysuru City has 12 Black Spots

There are 12 places in Mysuru city where frequent accidents take place and these spots have been identified as black spots by the Traffic Police.

• Two in KR Traffic Police limits: Near APMC Yard on Nanjangud Road and in front of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram.
• One in NR Traffic Police limits: Near Shreya Comforts, N.R. Mohalla.
• Four in Siddarthanagar Traffic Police limits: Devegowda Circle on Bannur Road; from Tirumala Tower till Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar Gate on T.N. Pur Road; from Ring Road Junction till Tirumala Tower and from Big Banyan Tree till Kumar Farm.

Five in V.V. Mohalla Traffic Police limits: From Prime Residency on Hunsur Road till Daksha PU College; Hootagalli Signal Light Junction; from Hootagalli SRS Colony Junction till Yashasvi Kalyana Mantap; Royal Inn junction on KRS Road; Infant Jesus Church on Hunsur Road till The Roost Hotel junction on Hunsur Road. Warning sign boards have been installed at all these spots.