Mumbai accident: Sonu Sood places in front of water-filled crash barriers. How can they save lives?

Last updated:Nov 28, 2024 5:43 PM IST

After an 18-year-old man died in a car accident on a Mumbai highway, actor Sonu Sood took to social media to suggest how water-filled barricades could save ‘millions’ of lives. Water barricades are a valuable option that can save lives in high-speed zones

Water-filled guardrails are highly visible safety barriers used primarily to protect pedestrians from slow-moving cars, vans and bicycles. (Representative file photo)

Actor Sonu Sood has campaigned for water-filled crash barriers after reading the news of an 18-year-old boy who died in a major car accident in Mumbai in the early hours of November 23.

Jalaj Dhir, son of a popular Bollywood filmmaker, was in the car with three of his friends when it rammed into a divider on the Western Express Highway near Vile Parle.

Sood, who is also known for his many humanitarian work, especially during the lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, posted on X on November 28: “I feel so sad to hear about a young boy who lost his life when his car crashed into a wall. a road divider in Mumbai. I believe that if our country has such water-filled traffic barriers at every road divide, we can save millions of lives. It should be made mandatory in every road contract.”

What are water-filled traffic barriers?

Water-filled guardrails are highly visible safety barriers used primarily to protect pedestrians from slow-moving cars, vans and bicycles. Made from sturdy plastic, these barriers provide a sturdy and reliable safety system that is quick and easy to set up.

Water-filled plastic guardrails are made of durable plastic and designed to be filled with water on site. The water they are filled with acts like a cushion and absorbs the impact energy of the vehicle. This reduces the force of collisions and minimizes damage to vehicles and injuries to passengers.

These road safety barriers are intended for temporary needs in areas such as construction sites, roadworks and event spaces. They are easy to transport and install, making them ideal for short-term deployments. They can also be quickly deflated and moved to a new location, making these plastic barrier options very useful for temporary needs.

Water-filled barriers are not suitable for high-impact scenarios or permanent installations. They are limited to lower resistance to strong impacts compared to more robust materials such as concrete or steel.

What are concrete guardrails?

Concrete guardrails are found on highways and major roads and are known for their strength and durability. They provide a rigid, immovable object that can guide vehicles back to the roadway in the event of a collision.

These traffic barriers can be installed along highways, bridges and medians where strong impact resistance is crucial. Once installed, they provide long-term durability and require minimal maintenance.

One of the disadvantages is that they are less flexible in terms of positioning and require more time and resources to install and remove them. While these safety barriers are useful for traffic management, protecting pedestrians and minimizing collision damage, they are not ideal as temporary barriers.

How water-filled barriers save lives

There are two types of standard barricade shapes for road construction: the Jersey barricade and the F-shaped barricade. Both are designed so that vehicles can roll up the side of the barricade in the event of a collision rather than crashing into it and forcing a hard stop.

The traditional choice for traffic barriers is concrete and cable, but accidents where drivers collide with either have a fatality rate of as much as 30%. Water barricades are a valuable option that can save lives in high-speed zones.

A survey conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute found that participants preferred water-filled plastic barricades over traditional drum treatments.

Other benefits of water-filled barricades include improved safety capabilities, fast setup time, greater portability and cost-effectiveness.

Road accidents in India

In 2023, around 1.73 lakh people were killed in road accidents in India. This means that on an average, 474 lives were lost every day or almost one death every three minutes, according to state and central government data.

A maximum of 4.63 lakh people were injured, which was 4% more than in 2022. According to a Road Transport Ministry report, the number of road deaths that year was 1.68 lakh. However, the National Crime Record Bureau said the death toll stood at 1.71 lakh.

Among all the states and UTs, Uttar Pradesh recorded the maximum number of fatalities (23,652) last year, followed by Tamil Nadu (18,347), Maharashtra (15,366), Madhya Pradesh (13,798) and Karnataka (12,231). In case of road injuries due to accidents, Tamil Nadu topped the list with 72,292 injuries, followed by Madhya Pradesh (55,769) and Kerala (54,320).

How the government plans to reduce the number of road accidents

The government aims to reduce road accidents by 50% by 2030, highlighting that the number of road accidents and deaths results in a socio-economic loss of 3.14% of GDP.

Nitin Gadkari, at an event, highlighted the importance of changing social behavior and strengthening the ‘4Es of road safety’. The ‘4E’s’ include technology (road and vehicle technology), enforcement, education and emergency medical care. He further said that to achieve this goal, there needs to be collaboration among all stakeholders to improve road safety.

He also urged regular eye checks for drivers and encouraged organizations to create free camps as part of their social responsibility.