Hazardous parking raises ORR death toll

Metro India News | Hyderabad

The Jawaharlal Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR), built as a high-speed expressway to ease traffic around Hyderabad, is witnessing a worrying rise in fatal accidents involving parked vehicles. Road safety experts and commuters say vehicles halted along the carriageway have become one of the leading causes of deadly crashes, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and better emergency infrastructure.

With cars permitted to travel at speeds of up to 120 kmph, drivers often have little time to avoid stationary trucks or other vehicles parked on the roadside. Many accidents occur when fast-moving vehicles crash into these parked vehicles, resulting in heavy loss of life and serious injuries.

A series of fatal incidents in recent months has highlighted the growing concern. On May 1, six occupants of a WagonR were killed near Shamshabad after their car rammed into a stationary rice-laden lorry. On July 16, two people died and another was seriously injured in the Keesara police limits when a lorry crashed into a parked Ashok Leyland vehicle. Most recently, a young man and woman lost their lives after their car hit a stationary cement truck near Neopolis. Similar accidents have been reported at several locations along the ORR.

Motorists have alleged that while the private agency managing the ORR ensures toll collection, it has failed to prevent unsafe roadside parking through regular patrols and timely removal of stranded vehicles. Concerns have also been raised over lapses in monitoring after motorcycles and autorickshaws, which are prohibited on the expressway, were found using the ORR on multiple occasions.

Experts also point to a lack of emergency parking bays and basic amenities along the expressway. Drivers facing vehicle breakdowns or other emergencies have few safe places to stop, forcing many to halt on the roadside. They have urged the government and the ORR operator to strengthen patrolling, create designated emergency parking areas, install better warning systems, and improve enforcement to reduce preventable fatalities on the expressway.