Tiruvallur launches road accident audit after 188 crashes, 49 deaths in February; safety lapses under review
CHENNAI: Tiruvallur, a rapidly developing logistics and residential corridor on the northwestern outskirts of Chennai, has initiated a comprehensive audit of both fatal and non-fatal road accidents.
Task forces comprising officials from the transport, police, and revenue departments are conducting field investigations in high-incidence areas such as Red Hills, Poonamallee, and Tiruvallur town.
Collector M Prathap has ordered the audit following 188 crashes, including 49 fatalities, that were reported in February alone. 'I have asked officials to analyse data in the last five years to determine whether road geometry or other factors are contributing to these accidents. If corrective measures are needed, we will implement them,' Prathap told TNIE. Tiruvallur's road network includes several state highways, major district roads, and three National Highways - NH-716, NH-16, and NH-48.
Earlier this month, Avadi City Police Commissioner K Shankar narrowly escaped injury when a maxi truck rear-ended his official vehicle on the Grand Northern Trunk (GNT) Road near Sholavaram.
Data reviewed by TNIE and corroborated by state officials have revealed several high-risk blackspots on NH-205. Danger zones have been identified between Arcotkuppam Junction and Canara Bank, from Arcotkuppam Bridge to Pudhur Bus Stand, and between Pudhur Junction and Narayanapuram Road. These stretches are now being subject to urgent interventions such as installation of speed-calming methods and improved lighting.
However, safety concerns are not limited to these blackspots. Roads like the one from Mappedu to Sunguvarchatram lack basic infrastructure, including street lighting and warning signs; the Tiruvallur-Tiruttani corridor, which local police describe as a 'continuous danger zone' is set to receive safety upgrades; in Poonamallee, the Palivakkam signal on the Chennai-Bengaluru route has become an accident prone area due to damaged service roads and potholes.
Meanwhile, persistent issues like the non-functional high-mast light at Thirumazhisai junction remain unresolved, pending a power connection from the state electricity board.
At Red Hills Padiyanallur signal on the Chennai-Kolkata highway, heavy vehicles continue to make U-turns due to the lack of a cloverleaf interchange on the Outer Ring Road, resulting in frequent multi-vehicle collisions.
Experts are now calling for a shift from reactive to predictive, data-driven safety strategies. P S Reashma, Mobility and Road Safety Specialist at Street Matrix, emphasised the importance of systematic crash investigations and identifying grey spots.
In the long-term, NHAI has announced the construction of an access-controlled, four-lane highway for the region, scheduled for completion by December 2026.
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