Puttur: Drivers from other states, not being familiar with the terrain of the coastal districts, are often found wanting when it comes to negotiating the curves, bends and inclines on the ghat road.
Being used to driving in the table-land highways, whatever care they take on the ghat road, they tend to take things for granted once they are on the level land in the district.
A string of mishaps on the stretch between Mani and Shiradi ghat during the past few years bears example to this stark reality. A case of a tanker transporting chemicals from Chennai to Mangaluru which rolled over the steep turn at Kolpe near Nellyadi on Sunday could have cause a major tragedy.
The effect could have been much worse than the Perne gas tanker tragedy. In the present case the tanker went out of the control of the driver, swerved to a side and went up a mound of mud about four feet high. Then it rolled over and fell flat.
The driver had a lucky escape. The gas did not leak either in spite of the massive fall.
The traffic was not affected, although the curious passing motorists slowed down or stopped over.
A case has been registered in Upppinangady police station.
