A tragic road accident in Kerala’s Thrissur district has made the ill-effects of unsafe transport of construction materials on public roads the focus once more. A 42-year-old motorcyclist, Sherin John of Pattathanam, Kuttanellur, died on Friday after long iron pipes and rods on a pickup van crashed through the vehicle’s cabin and fell onto him near Kuttanellur.
According to reports, Sherin John was travelling on his motorcycle from Thrissur to Kuttanellur in a hurry when the accident happened. An autorickshaw travelling in front of him suddenly made a sudden manoeuvre on the road, causing Sherin to apply the brakes abruptly to avoid a collision with the motorcycle.
A pickup van hauling long iron pipes and rods was following him closely behind the motorcycle. The driver of the pickup van also applied abrupt brakes and the unsecured load suddenly shifted violently because of momentum.
Witnesses said iron pipes and rods of several metres in length, some of them about 10 metres in length, rushed over the cab of the pickup van as it flew. The heavy materials landed directly onto Sherin and hurt him severely.
All of a sudden, the shock of the accident stunned people and several people who were nearby, as well as security at the nearby shopping mall, rushed to help Sherin. They were able to remove the heavy iron pipes and take Sherin to Jubilee Mission Hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors made a last effort to save him, but they said he had died of his injuries.
The pickup van driver fled the scene immediately after the accident. There has been an investigation into the incident and the Ollur police took the vehicle into custody. Safety regulations for transporting oversized construction materials will likely be investigated as well.
The accident has reignited public debate on road safety and the transportation of construction materials in urban and semi-urban areas. Poorly secured loads are the norm, residents and road users say. Long iron rods, pipes, steel bars and other construction materials are often seen protruding dangerously from trucks and pickup vehicles, posing risks for motorists, pedestrians and other road users.
Experts and drivers have stressed that there are a lot of safety precautions to be taken when carrying heavy or oversized loads. Construction materials need to be very firmly kept in place and secured to avoid them moving during braking, turning or sudden stops. Vehicles with protruding loads are also required to have warning signs, reflective markers or flags to alert other drivers. Such measures are designed to reduce risks and improve road safety.
Witnesses of the Kuttanellur accident pointed out that the long iron pipes involved in the accident were particularly dangerous due to their length and the possibility of shifting during transit. They also said that enforcement of existing safety rules is needed to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Many road users also urge increased inspections of vehicles transporting construction materials and stronger penalties for violations.
A 42-year-old motorcyclist was killed after long iron pipes and rods loaded on a pickup van crashed through the vehicle’s cabin and fell on him at Kuttanellur in Thrissur on Friday.
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The victim was identified as Sherin John, son of Joseph of Pattathanam, Kuttanellur.
Sherin was… pic.twitter.com/GqIrnObJdk
Road safety advocates say accidents like this are always preventable if every driver takes the necessary precautions. Drivers transporting heavy goods have a duty to protect their load not only to protect their cargo, but also to ensure the safety of the people who are traveling along the road. Failure to secure loads can be fatal; Sherin John is one of those who suffered the consequences.
This is a tragic reminder of the safety precautions people should take when handling hazardous materials. It would be incumbent on the government to beef up its enforcement and public education campaigns to avoid unsecured loads. For the people of Thrissur, the tragedy only underscores that a better safety system must be put in place to prevent further casualties on Kerala’s roads.
