MVD steps up highway patrols as aquaplaning accidents rise in Kerala

The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) of Kerala has intensified highway patrols on newly constructed national highways and issued an advisory on aquaplaning following a spate of fatal accidents during monsoon. The department released surveillance footage showing vehicles swerving off the road after aquaplaning, including a KSRTC bus.

Patrolling will persist until the monsoon concludes. Officials emphasized targeting speeding and waterlogged segments. Aquaplaning, or hydroplaning, transpires when water accumulates between a vehicle's tires and the road surface, resulting in a loss of traction. Steering and braking control may be compromised, particularly when driving at high speeds through standing or flowing water.

This warning follows a series of accidents on national highways since the onset of monsoon. In Malappuram alone, a dozen fatalities and numerous injuries were reported, linked to aquaplaning. Among these, a KSRTC bus accident in Kuttippuram on July 26 claimed one life and left over 20 injured. Over four instances of smaller vehicles drifting were recorded on NH 66 in the district since the Kuttippuram incident.

Preliminary investigations suggest excessive speed on wet roads contributed to aquaplaning in those accidents. The MVD also highlighted waterlogging on certain sections of the newly built NH 66 as a safety issue, citing design flaws. Traffic psychologist and former Deputy Transport Commissioner P.M. Mohammed Najeeb stated that many drivers only become aware of aquaplaning post-occurrence.

He advised drivers to reduce speed to below 60 kmph on wet roads, avoid using cruise control, maintain proper tyre tread depth and pressure, and refrain from driving through waterlogged areas or speeding through accumulated water.