Final Destination: Bengaluru roads a hazard in the rain

By Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: A heavy drizzle persisted all through Saturday and at around 8.30 pm, 80-yearold Hussain Khan decided to brave the rain and walk back home from his son’s house, where he had gone for dinner. As he crossed the road in Hale Bagalur, where both he and his son live, he was hit by a speeding bike. Hussain, who is a carpenter, sustained grievous injuries to his head, hand and leg. He was rushed to NIMHANs hospital, where despite the doctors’ best efforts, he succumbed to his injuries at around 12.15 am.

On Friday night, two women who had arrived in Bengaluru for a yoga course, were on their way to Kempegowda International Airport when an SUV, travelling well over the speed limit, lost control, flew over the median and landed on their cab. All three occupants of the cab died on the spot, while the two people in the SUV were critically injured. The road, which is used for high-speed commutes, has only a median.

Bengaluru roads are dangerous at the best of times, riddled with potholes, an absence of proper lighting and reflectors and vehicles speeding unchecked. When it rains, the possibility of danger doubles, when the roads become waterlogged, making the already poor streets difficult to see.

“Only ATVs can travel on these roads,” says an SUV owner, requesting not to be named. “Driving an SUV is simply too risky in many parts of the city. The roads become severely waterlogged. Authorities need to make arrangements for the water to drain out properly.

Vishnu Bellandur, a member of Save Bellandur, agrees. Save Bellandur is a federation of Bellandur Resident Welfare Associations.” “Even a brief downpour is enough to turn most roads into slush tracks, making it impossible to drive or ride on these stretches,” he says. “The lack of coordination between civic agencies is obvious. The public struggles with bad roads but the various civic agencies are too busy blaming each other to actually fix the problem,” says Prashanth, a resident of Belathur.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bengaluru, Dr Ravikanthe Gowda, the number of road accidents sees a rise during the rains. He advises drivers never to let their guard down.

Bengaluru has experienced heavier than usual rainfall all through October and November, giving rise to a series of accidents, several of which were fatal. On September 12, an elderly man, Khurshid, who was also specially-abled was thrown off his three-wheel scooter when it hit a pothole. He was run over by a passing truck. A 17-year-old was crushed under the wheels of a tipper truck as she tried to avoid a pothole on Magadi Main Road. The apathy and negligence of civic bodies has been laid bare.

'Keep vehicle in good shape and don’t take any risks' - Dr BR Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commissioner of police (Traffic), Bengaluru

It’s important to take added precautions during the rain. The first thing is to get a thorough pre-monsoon check of the vehicle, including batteries, tyres, lights, electric wiring, brakes and their fluids, engine fluids and wipers. Also, the A/C vent and coolant must be topped up to ensure it is ready for the rain and the cold.

Act with caution and avoid two-wheelers in the rain. If it is the only option, however, a helmet is mandatory for both rider and pillion. Even in cars, seat belts are a must.

Keeping windshield wipers in good condition is not enough. Car owners must ensure that the wiper fluid bottle is always full. Once it stops raining, muddy water from the road is bound to splash onto your windshield, thanks to other moving vehicles. If the windshield gets dirty, visibility is reduced and driving is difficult.

Keep the headlights on at a low beam during the rains, irrespective of whether it is foggy, dark or overcast. This gives the driver a good view of the road. The low beam is also important because bright lights will impair the vision of drivers in oncoming vehicles. Always avoid high beams at night.

Never drive too fast. It’s better to follow a vehicle from a safe distance, especially during the rains, keeping an eye on its brake lights. Such a practice not only helps one drive safely during poor visibility conditions but also alerts the driver to submerged potholes. Maintain twice the usual distance between your own car and the one in front as vehicles take longer to halt during wet road conditions.

Hydroplaning or aquaplaning is a phenomenon that every driver should understand and respect. It occurs when a layer of water builds up between the tyres and the road surface leading to the loss of traction and insulating them from control inputs. To avoid this, the driver should ensure that there is proper air pressure in the tyres and drive slowly, keeping a safe distance fro