Superintendent of Police P. Sibin launched the initiative in Ranipet | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Solar powered single pole blinkers have been installed at 51 identified hotspots which include key junctions and main roads in Ranipet district to avoid accidents.
Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Sibin launched the initiative in Ranipet town. Police sources said hotspots are classified as areas where accidents have claimed many lives. These locations include road bridges (ROBs), sections and intersections.
The narrowness of the road, bends with poor visibility, lack of road markings, potholed sections and lack of better street lighting are the causes of such fatal accidents. “Most of the identified hot spots do not have warning signs like reflectors, blinkers and solar studs that could alert motorists to drive slowly on the route,” R. Saravanan, Technical Inspector, Police Telecommunication Unit (Ranipet), told The Hindu.
Currently, as part of road safety measures, the district police detours 250 km every day.
Separate police teams have been formed from each police station to carry out patrolling on two wheels. A high-level team led by the SP monitors road safety activities on a daily basis. “Apart from road safety measures, the police should also prevent reckless driving on arterial roads, especially at night and on holidays. The new single-pole blinkers should be extended to stretches in small towns to prevent accidents,” said motorist G. Višnu.
According to the plan, the single-pole turn signals, which are about 15 feet tall, have a visibility of at least one kilometer. Each pole, which costs ₹21,000 under the Road Safety Fund, runs continuously on solar batteries. Other road safety measures such as automated traffic signals, barricades, reflectors, tree reflector lights and solar posts are also being installed at such accident-prone locations in the district.
Police sources said at least 5-8 people are estimated to be killed every three months on an average in the identified hotspot areas. Most of the victims are pedestrians and two-wheelers. Of the 51 hotspots identified, areas like Ranipet, Arcot and Walajah have at least 36 hotspots, including the Arappakam junction near CMC, the Walajah junction with the Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH 48) and the Avalur and Kaveripakkam junctions.
Published – 16 May 2026 23:01 IST
