Unnerved by rash driving, police appeal parents to rein in children; shoot off warning

Hyderabad: Even before the wounds of Narsingi could heal, another rash driving incident shocked the city. A 12-year-old schoolgirl who was on her way home in Shadnagar was severely injured after being hit by a speedy biker.

According to Shadnagar Inspector Prathap, the incident occurred at Sishumandir School, SNR, on Tuesday around 4.50 pm.

The 12-year-old was returning home from Montessori School when Jinkala Shashidhar, a bike rider from Mallikharjuna Colony, who was riding his bike rashly hit the girl and fled away from the scene and hid in a spot.

After hours, police traced and arrested him. A case has been booked under Section 337 of IPC. The 12-year-old suffered injuries on her head and legs.

"My daughter and her two friends' were on their way home when the incident happened. One of the student's houses is nearby so she immediately ran to inform her parents. This is the first such incident we have seen in the locality. We now fear to send our children to school on foot," the girl's father Rishipal Singh told NewsMeter.

Earlier, a pall of gloom had descended on the city after a 19-year-old boy killed two women during their morning walk at Narsingi.

Are bikers following the speed limit?

The maximum speed limit in the city is 40 kmph and if it is beyond it the cameras will automatically generate challan. Questions arise about how many motorists do follow the rules.

Do you know the risk of death increases by 200% by speeding? At 50 kmph, the chances of survival are less.

Youth are more into rash driving:

Despite the Hyderabad/Cyberabad traffic police regularly reminding people of basic traffic rules to be followed by posting information on Twitter and other social media handles, the number of rash driving/drunk and drive continues to increase. Such cases are especially seen among the youth, who find it fun to drive fast.

According to the police, it is more of the youth who are involved in overspeeding, and rash driving causing accidents.

On Wednesday, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police CV Anand posted a message on Twitter asking parents to keep children in check and keep a strict watch over their movements, for our good.

In 2021, about 80-90 youth were arrested for participating in bike and car racing events in Narsingi. "What we found while questioning them was that the children are not even informing their parents at home when they leave. Some of them are 11-year-olds who are racing on ORR. It might be tough sometimes but I ask parents to be strict with their children, to avoid losing lives," said the Commissioner in a video posted few years back.

The speed limit in Hyderabad

In 2022, the state government notified the maximum speed limit for various vehicles on different types of roads in the GHMC limits. The speed limit for cars on roads with dividers is 60 kmph. On roads without dividers, it is 50 kmph. On colony roads, the maximum speed of the cars can be 30 kmph. For bikes, autos, buses, and other vehicles, the speed limit on roads with dividers is 50 kmph. On roads without dividers, it is 40 kmph.

A week ago, Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar announced that the maximum speed limit on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) had been increased from the present limit of 100 km/hour to 120 km/hour.

Saving lives on highway

Cyberabad traffic police have come up with a new initiative to avoid accidents. Golden Hours are more important during accidents. Telangana police are training dhaba owners, mechanics, and petrol bunk operators to save lives at the time of accidents on the highways.

Penalty for reckless driving

Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, driving a vehicle dangerously at high speed, rash, and negligent driving may attract a fine of Rs. 1000 as per section 184(b).

Under Section 279 of the Indian Penal Code, any individual who is driving or riding a vehicle negligently, thereby endangering human life, will be punished by law. The punishment under this section is imprisonment for up to six months, a penalty of ₹1,000, or both.

What can the parents do?

-Check the everyday movements of their children.

-Stop pampering the children.

-Don't fall for blackmailing by children.

-Be tough with children when it comes to riding bikes or cars.

Rules to avoid accidents

1. Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre: this is the first rule of driving globally. It means check mirrors, if clear then turn on the indicator, and only then make a move.

2. Position-Speed-Look: You have to maintain the correct position when driving. Not only your body position but your vehicle position. Don’t change lanes at the last minute as that will create road rage & accidents.

3. Line of sight: Don’t overtake on curves, turnings, or dips in the road as you cannot see what’s coming on the opposite side.

4. Free Left is not Right of way: When joining a main road -whether you are turning left or right, always stop at a junction, and give way (Yield) to traffic on the main road before merging.

5. Make a right turn (or) U-Turn at the junction only when you have RIGHT Green Arrow. Do not make a U-turn if you have a round green light.

6. Pedestrian safety: When no footpath, walk on the right side of the roadway facing traffic. That way if a vehicle is accidentally coming towards you, you can see it and take corrective action to save yourself. This tip alone can save many pedestrian lives annually.

7. Don’t speed beyond speed limits: In city limits, don’t exceed 50 kmph even if roads are empty. Speed thrills but with speed- vehicle balance, stability, and road grip all reduce.

-Never cross the road in front of heavy vehicles.

-Always check vehicle tyres which might be worn, might lead to accidents.

Previous cases

Feb 2023: Two students of a private college on the outskirts of Hyderabad, driving two separate cars, were booked by the Cyberabad police after their rash and dangerous driving killed a 55-year-old woman and left her husband injured.

Feb 2023: A 7-year-old boy was seriously injured after a car ran over at the Raidurgam Police Station limits of Cyberabad. The boy and his friend were playing in their community open space when the car ran over them. While one boy escaped immediately, the other boy got crushed under the car.

March 2023: A teenager died on the spot after the bike he was riding pillion was hit by another bike driven by a minor boy at Kukatpally.

May 2023: Speedy bike hits divider in Moinabad limits. While the biker lost his life, the pillion rider received injuries.

June 2023: A two-year-old girl who was riding with her parents on a bike died after the driver of a parked car on the side of the road opened the door, colliding with the passing bike. While her mother sustained injuries, her father managed to escape.

Inputs from Naresh Raghvan of TopDriverIndia