Rash driving, deaths in accidents shook Hyderabad; police caution parents to be on guard

HYDERABAD: Residents of Hyderabad have been in a state of shock after watching CCTV footage of a car accident that killed two and seriously injured one. The CCTV video footage of the accident, which went viral on social media, shocked the country and enraged everyone, who demanded a harsh punishment for the person who was behind the wheel.

The neitzens were more shocked to find that the incident involved a 19-year-old youngster who did not have a driver’s licence.

Several concerns were raised about who gave him the car and whether his parents were aware that he had been driving?

Some even argued that young folks under the age of 25 shouldn't be permitted to drive. Even though the legal driving age is 18, some have questioned whether young people under the age of 25 should be given a licence to drive since not all of them are responsible drivers or appreciate the value of life.

Even before the city had recovered from the trauma of the Suncity tragedy, another reckless driving incident shook Hyderabad. A 12-year-old schoolgirl received severe injuries after she was hit by a speeding bike on her way home from school. Jiya, a 12-year-old victim of the Shadnagar accident, is currently receiving medical treatment. The CCTV footage of the incident shows the offender driving his two-wheeler recklessly and negligently.

On Thursday morning, Hyderabad woke up to another devastating news, making city commuters anxious about leaving their homes due to an alarming rise in fatal traffic accidents in the city.

A Swiggy delivery executive was killed on the spot in Madhapur area after being hit by a speeding water tanker. He lost his life in an accident while on his way to deliver a package. The deceased was even wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

The rapid surge in fatal road accidents in the city has startled everyone, raising various concerns about the city's deteriorating road safety. The traffic police, parents, and the general public are all concerned with what has triggered the significant surge in road accidents.

"I am at a loss for words," said Khaleequr Rehman, a BRS leader and city resident who lost his son and nephew in a devastating car accident 12 years ago.

"Our efforts to raise awareness of road safety in the 12 years since I lost my son and nephew appear to have been ineffective and have gone on deaf ears. I've been profoundly rattled and in a state of shock since I saw the accident footage in which a mother and daughter were killed by a 19-year-old's superfast automobile, " he added.

Khaleequr Rehman believes that the city's increasing number of accidents is indeed a matter of great concern. The youngsters don’t pay heed to the parents and all that awareness being created by police and the NGOs like Youth Against Speed against the deadly consequences of speed and drunken driving. Over speeding is a global phenomenon now, he said.

"The cars and the bikes are being sold showing speed pick up as the USP that is 0-100 kmph in 5 secs, This kind of advertising must be banned which encourages the young minds for speeding their vehicles resulting in reckless driving. The parents need to constantly keep educating them at home against the deadly consequences of speed and citing the examples of those parents who are suffering from losing their children. The road discipline is a must and I strongly feel that there has to be a speed governor in every car at 80 kmph. That’s the only way to curb the accidents. We don’t have the kind of roads that foreign countries have for the cars we have here. There is also a need for the parents to work on building the bond with the youngsters and be like friends with them and keep a track on their movements and be friendly with their friends," Rehman added.

As many as 1,022 minors were caught driving illegally in 2023

Hyderabad traffic police booked 22,264 drivers for driving without a licence in the city, 1,022 of whom were juveniles in 2023. According to traffic police, 826 of the 1,022 minors have already been convicted and punished by juvenile courts.

Concerned about the increasing number of road accidents, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand took to Twitter and urged parents to keep an eye on their children. "Three precious lives sniffed out by careless, rash driving, underage driver - heartbreaking. Time to keep our children in check and keep a strict watch over their movements, for our own good."

"I don't agree that road accidents have increased in Hyderabad city limits, but I completely agree that vehicles from Hyderabad have increased from 80 lakhs to 83 lakhs in the last six months.All big accidents that occurred in the recent 2-3 days were recorded within the city limits of Cyberabad," said G. Sudheer Babu, Addl. Commissioner of Hyderabad Traffic Police.

He said, "It discusses the holistic perspective where the parents are losing family cohesiveness. When youngsters demand something from their parents, they are unable to properly articulate their needs and end up purchasing things that they do not require at this age. They should properly convey to them that speeding and intoxicated driving are not only dangerous to themselves but also to others. Instead of merely gifting them expensive vehicles, explain to them philosophically and ideologically why it is dangerous to their lives, the lives of others, and their career.

"They should also make it clear to them that if they get involved in criminal cases, they will not be able to go abroad for higher education, will be unable to obtain a passport, and many other things will be hampered as a result of these things. Parents should also educate their children on whether our roads are capable of handling such speeds. Any major city in Europe cannot have 80 lakh vehicles, but Hyderabad boasts 83 lakhs. Colleges too should equally be responsible in guiding their students, saying that they should not violate rules and create awareness among them by intellectually and ideologically moulding the students," he added.

As many as 1,53,972 people killed in road accidents in India in 2021

According to the most recent data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), India saw 4,12,432 road accidents in 2021, leaving 1,53,972 people dead and 3,84,448 injured in the year 2021.

Overspeeding killed 1,07,236 people in 2021, and drunk driving killed 3,314 people. There were 8,122 deaths as a result of lane indiscipline and 679 deaths as a result of traffic light violations. Cell phone use while driving claimed the lives of 2,982 people. Other causes of death resulted in 31,639 deaths.

The overall number of road accidents was 1,28,825 on national highways (including expressways), 96,382 on state highways, and 1,87,225 on other roads, according to MoRTH's annual report 'Road Accidents in India - 2021'.