Poor vehicle condition leads to more accidents

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 5: Nepal Police Mirror 2022 shows that a total of 635 road accidents in the fiscal year 2021/22 were because of poor condition of the vehicles involved.  Poor condition of the vehicles was identified as the fourth major factors for road accidents after the negligence on the part of the drivers and the  passengers, and poor road condition.

According to Traffic Police officers, many casualties and fatalities in the road accidents can be prevented if the vehicles operating on the road were in proper conditions. 

On December 2, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office (KVTPO) penalised 38 vehicles while conducting pollution test and checking their mechanical condition.

While 13 of the vehicles failed only the pollution test, 25 had problems in their mechanical condition as well. Moreover, the 38 unfit vehicles were traced while checking only  54 vehicles at Babarmahal. 

Most of the unfit vehicles were four-wheelers. According to Nepal Police data, 9,359 four-wheelers were involved in road accidents in 2021/22.

On November 29, the Traffic Police  penalised 22 vehicles, including tanker and Tata Sumo, in Kirtipur, after a team of technical experts found that they were not in proper condition.

“The vehicles did not have hand brakes, lights were not working, and the tyres had worn out. Eight of the vehicles were kept for further inspection as they were in extremely bad conditions,” read a KVTPO statement quoting assistant spokesperson and Superintendent of Police (SP) Abadesh Bista Chhetri.

According to the KVTPO, they had confiscated the documents of those vehicles which they would return to their owners only after the latter repair the vehicles and pay the fine.

Similarly, Section 39 of the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management, 1993, prohibits any alteration on a motor vehicle without obtaining approval.

Sub Section (1) of Section 39 states that a motor vehicle owners shall not make any such alteration in the motor vehicle as to change its colour, number of seats, structure, engine or chassis, without obtaining approval of the competent authority.

However, vehicles, especially cars and motorcycles, have been flouting this rule.

While many bikers have removed the  side-view mirrors and leg guard increasing the risks of serious accidents, while cars have been installing bumper guards. 

Talking to The Rising Nepal, KVTPO spokesperson and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajendra Prasad Bhatta said that the bumper guards were asked to be removed since they lead to more damages during accidents.

“Bumper guards prevent the air bag sensor from responding effectively during collision. Similarly, it leads to more damages when a car with bumper guard hits a pedestrian or a motorcyclist,” said SSP Bhatta.

In the current fiscal year alone, over 35 per cent of the road accidents in the Kathmandu Valley were a result of being hit by overspeed vehicles and bumper guards. On December 1, the KVTPO had penalised 574 vehicles for installing bumper guards. 

The KVTPO informed that they are taking the inspection of vehicle conditions seriously. Similarly, they also plan to make vehicles follow the speed limit rules along the valley roads.

Until December of the current fiscal year 2022/23, a total of 54 of 119 accident deaths in the Kathmandu Valley were a result of overspeed.