SHILLONG: “Speed thrills but kills” is a famous phrase which can be sighted along roadsides reminding the people about the need to drive safe. But many times, people tend to overlook such messages and continue to over-speed their vehicles and in the process, many lose their lives.
The recent mishap at Shillong bypass in which four people were killed has once again raised a basic question about the need to make people realize the importance of ones as well as others’ lives.
While the accidents have become the order of the day throughout the state, quite a good number of accidents have take place in Shillong by-pass and Umiam-Jorabat four lane road which is under the supervision of the National Highway Authority of India
An official of the NHAI on Wednesday while talking about the growing road accidents said that the authority has safety audit of the roads conducted regularly.
The official also said that rash and drunken driving were the common causes of most of the road accidents.
Stating that the Supreme Court has come up with a host of directives to make the roads safe and secure, the official added that the chances of accidents are more in two lane roads since there are no road dividers.
When asked about the safety measures in two major roads of the state, the official said that the authority has its own highway patrol vehicle and ambulances and the PSU is also tied up with 108 ambulance service
The official also said that the NHAI was planning much more innovations to improve road safety measures to be implemented throughout the country in the near future . He further said the issue of installing CCTV cameras on the highways was a prerogative of the respective state governments.
It may be mentioned that four persons were killed and another six injured when the vehicle they were travelling in was hit by a 12-wheeler truck on Monday morning in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district.