MADHYA PRADESH (Web Desk) – Indian police have decided to attach glow in the dark bands to the horns of stray cattle to cut down on the number of road accidents.
Agencies in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have decided that by sticking orange radium reflective bands on the horns of 300 stray cattle, it will create it easier for drivers to recognize them at nighttime.
Kailash Chauhan, a traffic police inspector from Balaghat district told India Today that “many drivers injured themselves or killed the cattle after running over them at night,”
“There was an urgent need to prevent such accidents,” he added.
Police have said the circles have helped improve the situation, but there are not enough officers available to identify them on the animals, and they also encounter a bit of oxen who are more interested in chasing the officers than donning their new accessories.
Chauhan added that it’s merely a temporary solution as the bands don’t last long. The hope is for the local government to fund the purchase of “permanent radium paint” to enforce to the horns of stray cattle and bulls.
According to the World Health Organisation, around 231,000 people die on India’s roads each year. In 2015, more than 550 people were killed on Indian roads in accidents involving stray animals.
