The ‘lowdown’ on motorists’ safety in Chennai

Here is a run-through of a few low-lying medians in Chennai and what needs to be done to make them effective

Recently, residents of Thiruvengada Nagar highlighted the fact that the low-lying median on Cholambedu Main Road in Ambattur has been he cause of recurrent accidents, as motorists run into it at night. Along the length of the median, on both sides and at regular intervals, reflector studs have been stamped into the carriageway. Apparently, this safety measure is not sufficient. The median needs to wear two-sided yellow reflectors. 

Stones that fill in for a stretch of the median on College Road in Egmore jut out and pose a threat to motorcyclists’ safety, as seen on October 19. Stones are sometimes placed to fill in a gap in the median, often to prevent motorcyclists from turning the gap into a U-turn. With such makeshift and temporary medians, care should be taken periodically to ensure the stones are in place. 

The low-lying median at Thirumalai Pillai Road in T Nagar wears two-sided yellow reflectors, but in a couple of places, there is a disturbing gap before the next reflector appears — around the junction with Giri Road and another junction with Bhagirathi Ammal Street. There are also sections where a reflector seems to have gone on a sabbatical. One of the reflectors is bent, and a few need a scrub. A reflector with grime is as effective as a camera lens whose contact points are caked with dirt. A view of the median on October 19.