The report, submitted to the government today by the 12-member committee headed by SR Tambe, former PWD secretary, states that highway drivers felt there should be no speed breakers at all, and if they have to be put up they must be of uniform size, proper paint and adequate forewarning signboards.

While laying the blame on drivers, who ``did not pay the slightest attention to speed limit boards,'' for the increasing rate of accidents, the committee said the PWD was at times forced to erect speed-breakers by villagers just because a fatal accident had occurred at a particular spot.

``Once such odd-shaped speed-breakers are erected, it is difficult to undo the harm later,'' the report states.

The committee has alsorecommended that display of telephone numbers of local authorities who could be contacted in case of an accident should be made prominently at all STD booths on highways.

In Maharashtra there were 1,00,144 motor vehicles in 1961, while just 36 years later, in 1997, the figure rose to 45,15,746, an increase by 45 times. However, during the same period, the road length has increased only five times, and many roads have 4-5 times their capacity of vehicles.

While the actual record maintained by police shows there were 77,565 accidents reported in the state, their number would be much higher, as many accidents are not even reported, the committee pointed out.