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THE LONG seat at the front in jeeptype vehicles is one of the biggest culprits in road accidents, the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner’s Office has found in tests conducted by it.

The office has brought to the notice of the Centre that the “bench seat” at the front which allows for people to sit right beside the driver is the main reason behind the rising number of mishaps and has asked for such seats to be done away with in vehicles.

State Transport Commissioner Shyamsunder Shinde said the man behind the wheel, who is the one most in need of manoeuvring space, ends up being pushed into a tight corner due to overcrowding on such seats.

“Most manufacturers of jeep-type vehicles provide a bench seat in the front, making it three persons in the front row. The leg of the person sitting in the middle obstructs the changing of gears,” Shinde said. “Tests conducted by us have shown the seat in the front is extremely dangerous at the time of overtaking and when emergency gear changing is required.” Shinde said the problem becomes compounded during night driving when sharp responses are required.

“Even though, there is a provision for these bench seats, legally it is not allowed for three people to sit in the front,” Shinde said. “Hence we have recommended removal of the bench seat itself.” In a letter to the joint secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shinde has stated: “The bench seat arrangement is one of the rea sons for accidents and it is requested to direct technical agencies to take into (sic) Section 125 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, while issuing the compliance certificate.” Section 125 of the Motor Vehicles Act is about “obstruction of driver” and states that no driver of a motor vehicle shall allow any person to stand or sit or to place anything in such a manner or position as to hamper the driver in his control of the vehicle.” However, K.K. Gandhi, executive director of Society of Indian Auto Manufacturers (SIAM), struck a different note. “It is the opinion of the transport commissioner’s office, but there’s no conclusive proof to prove it,” Gandhi said over the from Delhi. “We need a database on how and why accidents happen.” SIAM is an apex industry body representing 38 leading vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in India. It was one of the bodies that conducted the tests on vehicles along with the state transport commissioner.

High Profile Victims




The Congress leader and former union minister died in a road accident at Bhandana in his parliamentary constituency Dausa,about 50 km from Jaipur in June 2000. Pilot was reportedly in the driver’s seat when his car collided headon with a Rajasthan State Road Transport bus.


The ‘superagent’ of cricket champion Sachin Tendulkar died when his car rammed head-on into another car and overturned when he was returning from Nagpur in January 2002. Mascarenhas died of head injuries.


The popular MarathiHindi actress was killed when her car rammed into an electric pole on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in February 2001. The police say the accident happened early in the morning.


The former Congress minister was killed when his car collided with a bus near Kondhali, about 60 km from Nagpur, in June 2004.

Top Four Reasons For Accidents on State Roads

• Vehicle Defects
  1. Breakage of tie rod in a running vehicle
  2. Tyre burst
  3. Wheel coming loose
  4. Brake failure
• Driver Error
  1. Overtaking at wrong places and turning abruptly or stopping without prior signalling
  2. Violating speed limit in villages
  3. Falling asleep at the wheel Speeding at curves, leading to overturning of vehicle
  4. Driving under influence
• Stray Elements on Road
  1. Error on the part of drivers of other vehicles like bullockcarts, cycles, rickshaws
  2. Jaywalking
  3. Cattle or dogs running onto
• Road Defects
  According to a study of accidents registered with the police, nearly 10 per cent of mishaps are due to the bad condition of roads.

Findings of the S.R. Tambe Road Accident Prevention Committee set up by the state government.

Article's Author: Rajendra Aklekar
Source: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com (Mumbai Edition)
Date Of Publish: 31-Oct-06

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