Bengaluru: The alarming number of fatal accidents on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway has seen a significant decrease, as confirmed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP – Traffic and Safety) Alok Kumar.

Providing an update on X, formerly Twitter yesterday, Alok Kumar also expressed his appreciation for the Police teams’ commitment to enforcing strict laws and taking action against commuters who violate the rules on the Expressway.

According to the ADGP, there were six fatalities recorded in August, a reduction from eight deaths in July due to road accidents. This represents a significant decline from the 29 fatalities in May and 28 in June, indicating a substantial improvement in safety on this expressway that has been making headlines recently.

Alok Kumar said, “We are doing our utmost to minimise fatalities on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway. The number of deaths in recent months has been as follows: May – 29, June – 28, July – 8, August – 6. Kudos to our team of officers and personnel. However, there is no room for complacency or recklessness. Rash and negligent driving is a recipe for disaster.”

In July, the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) even dispatched an expert committee to review and inspect the safety features of this road, given the multiple accidents that have occurred since its launch.

According to the Karnataka Government, the Expressway witnessed 100 deaths and 335 injuries due to accidents until June of this year.

Intensified patrolling

In response to the rising number of fatalities, the State Police also initiated a study to identify the root causes. The study pinpointed speeding and a lack of lane discipline as the primary causes of fatal accidents. This prompted the Police to impose a maximum speed limit of 100 kmph and ban two-wheelers and slow-moving vehicles. Another major factor contributing to the reduction in accidents is the intensified highway patrolling.

According to Alok Kumar, eight patrolling vehicles have been deployed, each assigned to cover a stretch of 18 to 20 kilometres to ensure road safety and traffic discipline.

These vehicles patrol the 118-kms Expressway 24/7. In addition, the NHAI also operates its own highway patrol vehicles to assist commuters in case of accidents. Patrol vehicles have been instructed to monitor accident-prone black spots and points where two-wheelers and other slow-moving vehicles illegally enter and exit Expressway.

70 more cameras

Moreover, six Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled enforcement cameras (Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras) currently installed on the Expressway have proven invaluable in helping Police track down vehicles violating traffic norms in real time. The Police are also in the process of procuring an additional 70 of these cameras to install at shorter intervals for better coverage.

As part of efforts to enhance security measures and deter violations, individuals involved in accidents or habitual traffic rule violators have had their driving licences (DLs) suspended for a minimum of six months.

A comprehensive evaluation of their driving skills is conducted before reinstating their suspended DLs.