Vijayawada: Human errors main reason for road accidents

Vijayawada: RTC managing director RP Thakur said that human errors are the prime reasons for the road accidents. Many precious lives can be saved if road safety rules are followed. He informed that about 1.5 lakh people are losing their lives every year in the country in the road accidents.

He said the APSRTC is conducting Road Safety Month every year to create awareness among the RTC staff on preventing road accidents and loss of lives. He said the APSRTC is conducting Road Safety Month from January 18, 2021 to February 17, 2021 and been conducting training classes to the staff to check mishaps and to follow the road safety rules. He said that overspeed, restlessness, negligent driving, speaking on cell phone while driving, overtaking, not taking precaution near T junctions, helmetless driving, not using the seat belts, drunken driving are some of the main reasons for the road accidents and loss of lives. He lamented that many families are financially affected severely due to the road accidents.

In a press release on Thursday, Thakur said that the RTC is conducting 32 Road Safety month with the slogan 'Sadak Suraksha-Jeevan Raksha' from January 18 to February 17. He said that the RTC buses met with 975 road accidents in 2019-20 and 442 people lost their lives in the mishaps. He informed that the RTC buses met with 1,186 accidents in 2018-19 and 498 people lost their lives. He said 2,446 persons were injured in the mishaps in two years.

Thakur said the RTC is conducting training classes regularly for the drivers and serving Tea at the bus stations to the drivers, who drive buses to the long distances. He said the RTC is affixing large vision mirror to the buses for the convenience of drivers, giving incentives, who drives buses safely and distributing booklets to the drivers to create awareness on road safety. The drivers, who completed 35 years of service and having good track record of safe driving are felicitated and incentives are offered. RTC is conducting awareness programmes on the impact of road accidents inviting the officials of the transport, police, education, railway and other departments during the Road safety month.