Fix speed governors in two-wheelers too, suggests HC

A Division Bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose, which made the recommendation while enhancing compensation to an accident victim, also said licence-seekers should be taken to hospitals where accident victims are under treatment so that the consequences of violation of road rules would be understood properly first-hand. 

The Bench was partly allowing an appeal from the father of a girl challenging the meagre award of Rs 18.44 lakh by a lower court. 

The girl sustained grievous injuries in the accident in April 2013. She was hit by a bus belonging to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. 

The court enhanced the compensation to Rs 1.50 crore. 

The Bench noted that the Medical Board examined the girl and determined permanent disability at 90 per cent. 

Moreover, she is unable to do any work on her own and has to depend on others throughout her life. Taking into various aspects and the pitiable plight of the victim , the Bench enhanced the compensation. 

The other suggestions given by the Bench to eliminate road accidents were provision of modern gadgets like speed gun, speed indication display and drones to find out the speeding vehicles and to punish the drivers besides stringent punishment to the violators of the rules. 

Imported vehicles should be calibrated to reduce their speed. Speed-breakers should be laid in accordance with the road safety measures so that they themselves would not become black spots, the judges said. 

They also suggested that Special Courts should be constituted to deal with traffic offences and the accident claim cases so that the criminal case arising out of the accident and the claim thereof could be dealt with by them together comprehensively. 

The State government should rope in celebrities to spread the message of road discipline through the media, as they also have the social responsibility for an orderly and disciplined society. 

Lectures by experts, doctors and social workers stressing upon the necessity to follow road rules should be conducted for licence-seekers before the licence is given. 

For reporting compliance, the matter has been posted for hearing on August 2.