The driving licenses (DL) of 5,965 drivers have been suspended by the Transport Department in the past three years (2020–21 to 2022–23) for causing fatal road accidents across Karnataka. The period saw a total of 29,173 fatal accidents, reveals data from the Transport Department.
When asked about the huge gap between the number of accidents and the number of licence suspensions, traffic expert M. N. Sreehari said, “The suspension of licences cannot be done in all cases, as some people appeal against it. If there is no valid reason, then the suspension gets quashed in courts. While the driver can be made A1 in a case where he is directly involved, in some cases, there will be indirect involvement, like when the brake fails, or when other events lead to an accident. In such cases, suspension of licence is unlikely.”
He added that some people also use their influence at the local police stations, or identify some legal loopholes, to avoid suspension of licence.
