HC Issues Safety Advisory To Prevent Accidents During Fog And Winter

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) has issued safety advisory to prevent accidents caused during conditions like in fog or winter. The transport and police department have time till 18 December, 2015 to implement the guidelines.

One major hazard during winter season is the fog, which drastically reduces visibility, making roads very unsafe for drivers. Other major hazards include trees, absence of fog detectors in vehicles like ambulances, blind spots on highways, and concrete blocks on road sides.

According to a road accident report in Haryana, 724 accidents have taken place due to fog in 2014 alone. Out of these accidents, 263 people have lost their lives and 716 people have been injured.

In order to keep the roads safe, the High Court has ordered the concerned department to clear unwanted vegetation overgrowth near the roads to keep animals away from straying onto the roads. Another major step is to slow down vehicles using speed breakers, since overspeeding is another major risk in the fog.