Patna: In a significant push to enhance highway safety and curb road fatalities, the state’s transport department has rectified 676 out of 702 identified accident-prone ‘black spots’ over the past three years. To further tighten traffic enforcement, the department is preparing to implement an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) across 500 strategic locations statewide.Releasing the progress report, transport department secretary Raj Kumar said that the state and national highways were thoroughly audited to pinpoint high-risk stretches. While 676 black spots have already been re-engineered for safety, corrective work is currently underway at eight other locations. The remaining black spots are scheduled for full completion by August.“The introduction of the modern ITMS will prove to be a game-changer for road safety,” said transport secretary Raj Kumar. “With continuous automated surveillance, authorities can promptly detect and penalise traffic violations such as overspeeding and lane breaches, thereby reducing collisions and fatalities,” he added.The secretary also appealed to motorists to follow traffic rules and adopt responsible driving practices.A ‘black spot’ is a specific road stretch or intersection with a high frequency of crashes and fatalities, typically identified using accident data recorded over the preceding three to five years. Common factors contributing to these dangerous zones include sharp turns, poorly designed junctions, inadequate lighting, potholes, and hazardous structural flaws.To systematically fix these high-risk areas, the department, in coordination with road construction agencies, has executed a series of targeted infrastructure and engineering interventions. Key measures include, structural improvements like road widening, construction of underpasses and overpasses, and repair of damaged surfaces, apart from other steps like application of anti-skid surface coatings, closure of unauthorized median cuts, and placement of protective barricades, installation of prominent warning signboards and sustained public awareness campaigns.
