A devastating road accident in Kerala has resulted in the tragic death of a two-year-old girl who was traveling with her mother. The incident occurred when their car collided with a tanker truck in the Kottakkal-Padaparambu area, leading to a heartbreaking series of events that have raised significant concerns about child safety in vehicles.
Details of the Incident
According to police reports, the accident unfolded when the family’s car struck the tanker lorry, causing the airbags to deploy unexpectedly. The young girl was sitting in her mother’s lap in the front seat at the time of the collision. The sudden deployment of the airbag exerted enough force to press the child’s face into it, ultimately resulting in suffocation.
“The car collided with a tanker lorry and the airbag deployed suddenly under the impact of the collision,” a police spokesperson explained. Tragically, despite the harrowing circumstances, the other four passengers in the vehicle, including the mother, sustained only minor injuries.
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Ongoing Investigation
Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. This heartbreaking incident has not only taken the life of a young child but has also sparked renewed discussions about the safety of children in cars, particularly regarding the implications of airbag deployment when young children are present.
Rising Concerns About Road Safety
This incident highlights a broader issue concerning road safety in India. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, road accidents in the country increased by an alarming 12% last year. The report reveals that an average of 19 Indians lose their lives in road accidents every hour, a statistic that underscores the urgent need for enhanced safety measures.
Just the day before this incident, another tragic accident occurred in Madhya Pradesh’s Maihar district, where nine people were killed, and 24 others were injured after a bus collided with a Hyva truck on National Highway 30.
The ministry’s report indicates that 53 road accidents occur every hour across the nation, with a significant portion of victims being young adults. “Young adults in the age group of 18–45 years accounted for 66.5 percent of victims during 2022,” the report states, adding that individuals in the working age group of 18–60 years constitute a staggering 83.4 percent of total road accident fatalities.
