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A recent experiment by the Mumbai-Pune expressway authorities and the traffic department highlighted the dangerous foolishness of speeding to save time.
Project manager at the expressway call centre Umesh Chaudhary, who was part of the experimentation and research team, said those who drove above 80kmph have either met with fatal accidents or sustained serious injuries. "Even speeding the vehicle out of joy is worth giving up than risk lives," he said. He added 90% of the expressway's mishaps were due to loss of control, dozing off at the wheel or collisions at high speed. "Had the speed been at 80 kmph or lower, loss of control or collision would not have impacted as seriously," he said.
Chaudhary said traffic and expressway authorities drove the cars between Pune and Panvel at different speeds and measured the time saved against risk factors involved in high and low-speed ranges. It was found that vehicles saved a minimum eight minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes. "Speeds above 80 kmph often resulted in tyre bursts, sudden loss of steering control, vehicle losing its balance, or a crash while overtaking," said another engineer, part of the MSRDC monitoring team for the expressway. He said after the experiment, the MSRDC and highway authorities distributed pamphlets among drivers highlighting the dangers of speeding.
The study also found that driving at more than 80kmph without an interval could be dangerous. "Especially in the wee hours of morning or late at night, or after a heavy meal, there are chances of dozing off at the wheel while at high speed. After every half an hour to 45 minutes, drivers should stop to take a break," said an official who was part of the experiment.
However, accidents on the expressway since its inception in 2001 were one-third of those on the old Pune highway. "The old highway witnessed 400 deaths every year due to mishaps, the expressway registered 500 deaths in 10 years," an official from the expressway maintenance team said.
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