A stretch of Bengaluru-Hyderabad National Highway 44 near Lingashettiypura Gate in Chikkaballapur district has reportedly become a major accident black spot, as more than 30 people have died there over the past two years.
The repeated accidents have caused serious concern among local residents and motorists questioning the lack of road safety measures at the location. Things got even worse after a North Indian couple who were reportedly returning to Bengaluru from Isha Foundation on a motorcycle met with an accident.
Locals said the couple had hit a truck. They were run over by the heavy vehicle and died on the spot.
Fatal Accident Sparks Local Protest
The deaths recently once again drew attention to the safety problems at Lingashettiypura Gate. After the fatal accident, local residents protested against what they called “inadequate safety arrangements” on the highway.
Residents blamed the lack of speed breakers, warning signs and other safety measures for the repeated accidents.
The stretch is especially dangerous as NH 44 carries a large volume of fast-moving vehicles. Any sudden crossing, wrong U-turn or movement against the traffic flow will be dangerous for both motorists and pedestrians.
After the protests, officials of RTO, PWD, NHAI and police visited the spot to check the situation.
Temporary Traffic Arrangement Introduced
After they had looked at the area, apparently authorities put in place a temporary traffic arrangement to make it safer for people coming from the Isha Foundation side towards Bengaluru.
Under the new arrangement, vehicles are not to enter the highway from the existing entry point. They have been asked to turn left and drive towards the flyover near Seth Dinne, where they can make a U-turn underneath the flyover before moving towards Bengaluru.
Barricades have reportedly been put up to direct traffic and prevent vehicles from taking unsafe turns at the highway access point.
The U-turn near the flyover is considered safer because it gives motorists a point to change direction (rather than forcing them to cross the high-speed highway at an uncontrolled location).
Motorists Continue Taking Risky U-Turns
Even so, there are concerns because some motorists are reportedly still taking shortcuts.
“A lot of cars, vans and buses don’t travel all the way to Seth Dinne to use the U-turn. Some turn around near Devasthanahosahalli Gate even though there is a traffic restriction,” locals said.
Two-wheeler riders are also alleged to be moving barricades near Lingashettiypura Gate so that they can cross the highway.
Some drivers reportedly bypass the U-turn because reaching the flyover and coming back adds about 3–4 kilometres to their journey, so they allegedly use gaps in barricades near Hoonegala for an unauthorised U-turn.
Dangerous U-Turns Could Put More Lives at Risk
The biggest concern is that these shortcuts don’t only endanger the motorists who make U-turns. They can also be a threat to vehicles travelling at high speed along NH 44.
A vehicle suddenly crossing or turning across a national highway gives approaching motorists very little time to react. Two-wheelers are more vulnerable because they have less physical protection in the event of a collision.
Local motorists have therefore asked the authorities to act immediately so that unauthorised U-turns do not take place and the designated traffic arrangement is adhered to.
They have also called for stronger barricading, warning and direction signs properly placed, better lighting where needed and other engineering measures that could reduce the possibility of collisions.
Need for a Permanent Safety Solution
The temporary traffic arrangement may reduce the risk, but residents say there should be a permanent solution at that accident-prone stretch.
Installing barricades might not work if motorists can move them or find gaps to cross the highway. Authorities may need to look at road design, access points, turning movements, visibility, speeds of vehicles and pedestrian movement before coming up with a long term solution.
The reported death toll at the location over the past two years made it even more urgent.
For motorists, the message is equally clear: saving a few kilometres isn’t worth risking life. Taking an authorised U-turn might take longer, but it significantly reduces the risk of crossing a high-speed national highway at an unauthorised point.
NH 44 is a major corridor linking Bengaluru with Hyderabad and other parts of the region. Safety at accident-prone spots like Lingashettiypura Gate should remain a priority.
