In an innovative move to prevent sleepy drivers from crashing vehicles, the state highway police will distribute earphone-like devices, which send out loud beeps after sensing sleepiness. The device will be distributed free of cost to luxury bus drivers before travellers start heading to Konkan for the upcoming Ganeshotsav celebrations.
Additional DG (highways) Vijay Kamble said, “We have collaborated with the Maharashtra Bulk Transporters Association (MBTA) which has procured 500 such devices from Spain. Teams of traffic police officers, who will be posted at major bus depots, will distribute the device to luxury bus drivers before they start their journey. There are several instances when fatigued heavy vehicle drivers fall asleep on the wheel leading to ghastly accidents on the Mumbai-Goa (NH-17) highway.”
The device is shaped like a listening aid used by the hearing impaired and fits on the back of the earflap. “When the driver is sleepy, his head slowly starts falling. A sensor in the device is activated after the incline crosses a particular degree and sends out a piercing beep thereby waking him up. He can then halt a nearby rest stop and quickly freshen up or hand over the wheels to his substitute,” said DCP Rashmi Karandikar. Each device costs around `1,500 and the highway police is also contemplating procuring more such pieces by next year, in collaboration with the MBTA.
In a related development, the traffic police has introduced interactive maps on their website (www.highwaypolicems.in [1]) giving information about the nearest utilities on various spots on all the roads passing through the state. “For instance, the NH-17 will see heavy traffic towards Konkan and Goa during Ganeshotsav. On the map, viewers can click any town or village on the highway which pops up a screen displaying information on the nearest hospital, crane service, garage, local police station and traffic aid post (TAP),” Ms Karandikar added.
Trucks transporting sand will also be banned on the NH-17 between September 6 and September 19 and transporters have been advised to take different routes.
Links:
[1] http://www.highwaypolicems.in