Two crucial national highways traversing Karnataka's Chitradurga district have emerged as severe accident blackspots, claiming hundreds of lives over recent years. Located in Central Karnataka, roughly a three-hour drive from Bengaluru, the district sees a perilous surge in overnight traffic as drivers push to reach the capital by dawn.
The Deadly Early Hours: A Consequence of Fatigue
The window between 2 am and 5 am, coinciding with the body's natural sleep cycle, has recorded a sharp increase in collisions. Officials attribute this trend to driver fatigue and diminished alertness. The relentless overnight flow of vehicles towards Bengaluru exerts immense pressure on road safety infrastructure.
Both NH-48 and NH-369 (the Shivamogga-Chitradurga-Sollapur route) experience heavy vehicle density 24/7. Most vehicles departing at night arrive in Chitradurga during these hazardous early hours. Police sources confirm that this dangerous pattern has resulted in at least 300 road accident fatalities over the last five years.
Identified Blackspots and Critical Lack of Emergency Care
A specific stretch on NH-48, running from JJ Halli Degree College to Anesidri Shanishwara Temple, is officially listed among the state's top ten major accident zones. Police report that minor and major mishaps are a regular occurrence here.
Compounding the tragedy is a severe lack of timely medical assistance. The region's poor emergency response infrastructure significantly increases fatality rates after accidents. A recent incident highlighted this failure: following a road mishap at Javagondanahalli on Thursday, an ambulance took 80 minutes to arrive. Officials and locals believe earlier medical intervention could have saved lives.
"Minor and major accidents occur regularly on NH-48. Therefore, there is a critical need for a fire station and a 24-hour hospital on the highway," asserted HM Bharat, the gram panchayat member of Javagondanahalli in Hiriyur taluk. He further highlighted that 108 ambulance services have been non-functional for seven to eight months, an issue that remains unaddressed. "These services must be made available to reduce accident fatalities," he stressed.
Recent Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to Seven
The human cost of this crisis was underscored again on Friday morning when a private sleeper bus driver succumbed to his injuries. Mohammed Rafiq (38), a resident of Hulagur village in Haveri district's Shiggaon taluk, died at KMCRI hospital in Hubballi. His death raises the total fatalities from an accident at Javanagondanahalli to seven.
"He breathed his last early morning on Friday," stated Chitradurga SP Ranjit Kumar Bandaru. Rafiq had sustained internal injuries in a collision that occurred around 2 am on Thursday. His sleeper bus was hit by a container truck near Javanagondanahalli. The impact struck the bus's fuel tank, igniting a fire that charred five passengers and the truck driver to death on the spot. Rafiq was initially treated in Hiriyur and referred to Chitradurga District Hospital before his family moved him to Hubballi.
The recurring accidents on Chitradurga's highways paint a grim picture of a systemic problem where infrastructure strain, driver fatigue, and absent emergency services converge to create a perpetual zone of danger on these vital national corridors.
