National and state highways in Andhra Pradesh have turned into virtual death traps with thousands of people losing their lives every year. With officials neglecting the urgent need to repair and widen the roads, vehicles are also suffering wear and tear after trundling over potholes. The situation is the same in all three regions — Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana — and the number of accidents have now touched alarming levels.
Experts and traffic planners say that apart from bad roads, the increase in the number of vehicles, drunken driving and lack of median marking by radium mixed paint have also led to the increase in mishaps. As per the Bureau of Crime Records, 623 people died in road mishaps in 2006 in Anantapur district and the number went up to 1,250 during 2007. This year, 122 people have lost their lives. In many cases, the mishaps had occurred when people were going on pilgrimage. The mishap victims included men, women and children. In certain instances, entire families died in accidents.
Leave Your Comments