Uthimoodu: On this smooth stretch of the Punalur–Muvattupuzha Road, reaching home safely has become a matter of luck. The stretch between Uthimoodu and Velivayal Padi, upgraded as part of the Konni–Placherry road improvement project, has become notorious for its accident rate due to its smooth, flat and straight surface.

Though the road was widened to improve traffic flow, it has inadvertently encouraged over-speeding, putting both motorists and pedestrians at risk. Private buses, which previously rushed through this stretch to make up time, continue the practice. Now, smaller vehicles are doing the same, resulting in two to three accidents every week.

Driver fatigue, motorists dozing off behind the wheel, and wrong-side driving further compound the problem. Several people have already been injured in accidents along this stretch, and over ten deaths have been reported.

At Uthimoodu Junction—one of the most accident-prone spots—authorities initially took steps to improve safety. Blinker lights, yellow speed strips, dividers and cones were installed to reduce risk. But speeding vehicles have destroyed most of these safety features. As of now, only a single damaged cone remains at the spot—a symbol of how quickly safety measures are undone.

Locals say that unless speed is brought under control, the situation will only worsen. They suggest installing speed-regulating strips every 100 metres as a practical solution to reduce accidents.