Wonderful initiative by KSRTC – A warning for two wheeler riders
Worried over the rising accidents involving two-wheelers and buses of the KSRTC, the state transport major has set out to create awareness among motorists by giving them a feel of the driver’s view, while driving on highways.
The corporation’s in-depth analysis of accidents revealed that these are the result of blindspots, an experience often felt by drivers. According to KSRTC officials, these blindspots occur due to the length of the buses and the small rear view mirror attached to the buses.
“Given the size of the mirror and the length of the buses, it is impossible for the driver to have a wide view of the road, causing a blindspot for the drivers. The drivers can see the trailing vehicles only if they get close to the bus. But, in less than a few seconds, the motorists may have crashed into the bus,” explained a senior KSRTC official.
To make motorists understand the blindspots, KSRTC has come up with a video, in which two-wheeler riders get to see how one feels in a bus driver’s seat. Officials said the video would educate motorists about the blindspots experienced by bus drivers, besides educating them about road safety while riding close to KSRTC buses, parallel to them.
In the video, two young motorists, confident of driving the bus, are invited to sit behind the wheel. It is only then they realise the challenge faced by the drivers as they are not able to see bikes in the mirror, even though a couple of bikers are riding by the bus.
“The initiative is in the interest of the safety of two-wheeler riders. On an average, there are about 300 to 320 casualties every year involving our buses and majority of them are two-wheeler riders. We hope this video will create awareness among motorists,” said S K Umashankar, managing director, KSRTC.
Umashankar says analysis shows that these accidents could have been prevented if the two-wheelers took precautions while riding close to the buses.
“We are also contemplating to allow people to actually sit in the driver’s seat of a bus in our depots, so that they can look at the rear-view mirror for first-hand experience,” he revealed.
