More awareness needed for mitigating accidents: Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao

Guntur: Civil Supplies Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao called upon the vehicle drivers to follow traffic rules strictly to prevent road accidents. Addressing a meeting held on the occasion of 30th Road Safety Week Celebrations at Sri Venkateswara Vignan Mandiram here on Thursday, he said that if the bread earner dies in the road accident, the family would have to face a lot of problems.

Taking this into consideration, he asked the drivers to follow traffic rules and wear seatbelts while driving in car and appealed to two-wheeler riders to wear helmet compulsorily while riding. Pulla Rao said that drunken driving, overloading, overspeed, answering cell phone calls while driving the vehicles leading to road accidents.

He said so far 1.45 lakh people died in the road accidents in the country during this year and stressed on the need to create awareness on traffic rules. AP Mahila Commission Chairperson Nannapaneni Rajakumari stressed on need to create awareness on road accidents.

Railways and Road Safety Additional DG K R N Kishore Kumar said that over 8,000 people died in the road accidents in the State during this year so far. Due to measures taken by the government, he said the accidents rate has come down to 7 per cent. 

He suggested to collect penalty from those who violate traffic rules. Deputy Transport Commissioner G C Rajaratnam said that so far 948 persons died in road accidents in the district and added that most accidental deaths caused by autos and two wheelers.

Earlier, he gave a power point presentation on road accidents and explained steps taken by the department to check them. Additional SP Y T Naidu and Traffic DSP K Supraja were present.