It is an alarming 15,000 road accidents a year in Coimbatore, according to a top police official.

As chief guest at the road and safety awareness workshop organized by the PGDM students of PSG Institute of Management here today, Coimbatore traffic deputy commissioner of police S Saravanan said that 1,300 people lost their lives in these accidents last year. This is alarming as there were 24 murder cases in Coimbatore last year and 200 people died due to violence in Jammu and Kashmir, he pointed out. Negligent driving was causing more deaths than violence and attacks, he pointed out.

Institute director Dr R.Nandagopal welcomed the gathering and said the institute and its students were committed to respecting traffic rules.

Road safety training officer VK Vinayakamoorthy held an interactive session with students involving them in various games and activities connected with road safety. He also gave tips about crossing the road and how to travel safely. As part of the workshop, students took a pledge to abide by traffic rules.