Unmarked speed breakers are hidden killers

Unmarked speed breakers raised on different roads in Jhalakathi district pose risk of accidents. Photo shows a speed breaker without identifiable sign on Jhalakathi-Nabogram Road where a motorbike met an accident due to sudden jerk at the speed breaker five months ago, leaving three people dead on the spot. Photo: Star

A number of speed breakers, erected without any colour marks or other easily identifiable signs, pose risk of accidents on roads in different areas of the district.
Three Chhatra League activists were killed as the motorbike carrying them met a serious accident due to sudden jerk at a speed breaker on Jhalakathi-Nabogram road on January 1 this year.
On March 20, a man was killed as a three-wheeler fell off the road while crossing a speed breaker on Rajapur-Baria road.
Over 50 people were injured in several accidents at speed breakers at different places in the district in four months from January to April this year.
A nurse was seriously injured after falling off a bike when it crossed a speed breaker at Badurtola of Rajapur when she was going to treat a pregnant woman, said Raju, a shopkeeper beside the road.
"I witness accidents almost every week here," he added.  
Aged people and pregnant women are worst affected due to the sudden jerk of vehicles at the speed breakers, said Rabindranath, a community doctor of Mathbaria union in Rajapur.
The roads under Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Jhalakathi district have often speed breakers within one kilometre or less, said drivers.
"As the speed breakers are without any colour or other marks, they become visible only after vehicles come very close and then it becomes difficult to check the speed suddenly. Such unmarked speed breakers often pose the risk of accidents, especially for the drivers who are new comer in the area," said Khokon, a car driver.
"Erecting speed breakers on roads is strictly forbidden. We did not receive any complaint regarding the matter before. We will take necessary steps to solve the problem as soon as possible,” said Md Selim Sarker, executive engineer of LGED in Jhalakathi.