Proper crash barrier could have saved lives in Rudraprayag accident: Report
Thursday, 20 June 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Several lives could have been saved in the Rudraprayag accident on June 15 if crash barriers installed at the spot had been connected. The driver was also driving for the first time on the mountain routes and was overspeeding. This was stated in the inspection report of the lead agency of the Transport department that officially submitted its report on Wednesday. The report stated that there were five parapet blocks installed at the location from where the tempo traveller vehicle fell 250 metres down the road into Alaknanda River.
The vehicle first broke two blocks, then went over the third block, partially broke the fourth block and then fell, demolishing the fifth block. After falling, the vehicle took several turns and partially drowned in the river. While the vehicle fell, some passengers were thrown out of the vehicle and fell on the slope. The impact of the accident would have been significantly lower if connected crash barriers had been installed there instead of parapet blocks. It was also revealed that the online fee for the endorsement of mountainous routes on the driver’s license was deposited at 3:34 PM after the accident on Saturday and the endorsement was received online. It is clear from this that the online test and the said fee submission were done by someone else instead of the driver.
The report suggested the department reconsider the implementation of the earlier system of physical examination of the driver instead of the online system of hill endorsement to prevent such fraud. The officials also stated in the report the road from Rishikesh to Rudraprayag was constructed under the All Weather Road project which is currently in good condition. The speed limit on this road is 30 kilometres per hour which is displayed there through display boards installed at many places. However, it was observed that most of the vehicles overspeed on that route and put lives at risk. Considering this, the officials have asked to install rumble strips and white markings and take other measures to restrict the speed limit at accident-prone spots. The condition of the accident site showed that the speed of the vehicle was probably relatively high due to which the driver lost control. The team also found that three parapet blocks were completely broken due to the collision of the vehicle. This supports the point that the driver had lost control of the vehicle.
Besides this, the driver was driving continuously for over 11 hours from 11 PM in Delhi to 11:30 AM on June 15. Considering these points, it appears that the driver crashed the vehicle in a sleep-deprived state, as per the report. The report also suggested improving parking arrangements in Shivpuri, Devprayag, Dhari Devi Temple and Brahmapuri as vehicles are parked on the roadside in these areas causing heavy traffic jams. It has been observed that drivers often overspeed after they pass through this traffic to compensate for the time that they waste due to traffic jams. Such a tendency among them will increase more risk of accidents on roads ahead. The joint transport commissioner Sanat Kumar Singh said that the department will consider all the points to improve the situation and will act further accordingly.
