Jaipur: Gaps in divider fencing, unsafe pedestrian movement and weak enforcement of illegal stoppages have come under scrutiny after a speeding multi-axle trailer crashed through a divider and killed four members of a family on Ajmer-Jaipur highway Tuesday.Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic)Yogesh Goyal said police have stepped up action against speeding on highways and underlined the need for safer pedestrian facilities on the stretch. “Arrangements must also be made for pedestrians,” he said.Investigators said the trailer, carrying plaster of Paris, was travelling at high speed when it descended the flyover, veered into the divider and mowed down the family waiting there. Preliminary findings suggest excessive speed may have sharply reduced the driver’s ability to react and regain control.“At highway speeds, a fully loaded trailer requires a much longer stopping distance and has far less margin for corrective steering,” an investigating officer said.Police are examining whether the driver swerved suddenly to avoid another vehicle or obstacle, or whether brake failure, steering imbalance or another mechanical defect contributed to the crash. Officials are also checking whether the trailer gained speed while coming down the flyover.“The downhill gradient could have increased the vehicle’s speed and kinetic energy, making recovery difficult after even a minor steering error,” an officer said.Police are also assessing road safety deficiencies at the spot. Officials said there was no continuous pedestrian fencing to prevent people from waiting or crossing there. The location was neither a designated bus stop nor an authorised pick-up point, but commuters regularly waited there for transport.“There was no adequate pedestrian fencing at the location, and people were waiting at an unsafe spot. Action will also be taken against buses that stop there illegally,” an official said on condition of anonymity.Tuesday’s incident prompted traffic police to write to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), seeking completion of fencing along the divider separating the slip road from the main carriageway to stop vehicles from shifting between the two roads at unauthorised points. This, even though the verdict remains out on whether fencing can offer any protection against a speeding, out-of-control heavy vehicle.Officials said the highway’s wide,multi-lane layout encourages high speeds, making strict speed enforcement and pedestrian protection critical. Police said the findings are preliminary and the exact cause will be determined after the trailer’s mechanical inspection, forensic analysis and review of CCTV footage.
