Police and MVD enforcers will use field test kits and screen drivers for alcohol and drug impairment. Drivers who violate traffic rules face heavy fines and other penalties, including license cancellation or suspension and, in extreme cases, short jail terms. | Photo Courtesy: Leju Kamal
Keeping in view the growing public concern over the rising road accident deaths in Kerala, the state police along with the state motor vehicle department (MVD) are set to launch an intensified traffic enforcement drive from Monday (December 16, 2024).
Manoj Abraham, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, who is scheduled to chair the top-level meeting of traffic regulators later. Hindu That the police will significantly increase their “visual presence” on the streets, especially at night.
Police and MVD enforcers will use field test kits and screen drivers for alcohol and drug impairment. Drivers who violate traffic rules face heavy fines and other penalties, including license cancellation or suspension and, in extreme cases, short jail terms.
Major accident causes
Mr. Abraham said that the major causes of accidents that have killed many are drunken driving, carelessness of motorists, lack of sleep, speeding, use of mobile phones, haphazard overnight parking on roadsides, lack of lane discipline. of pedestrians in the past fortnight.
He said that even though the safety features of the vehicles are good, the accident rate has increased and the driver’s negligence leads to death.
(According to data from the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), 3,168 people died and 45,567 were injured in 40,821 accidents till October 2024. Moreover, Kerala saw a nearly 10% increase in road accidents in 2023 compared to the previous year. Accidents have been reported from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.)
Mr. Abraham said law enforcers will deploy speed-detecting radars and cameras mounted on vehicles to crack down on drivers who violate the legal speed limit, especially near educational institutions and busy pedestrian crossings. Such mobile enforcement units will cover traffic monitoring blind spots.
Boots-on-the-ground enforcement
Mr. Abraham said the emphasis on “boots-on-the-ground traffic enforcement” is during the Christmas-New Year festive season when traffic accidents are likely to peak at night.
However, law enforcers face considerable challenges, especially in places with narrow roads, sharp curves and dangerous potholes. Sidewalks are few and far between to keep pedestrians from conflicting with vehicular traffic.
Pedestrian safety
In many cities, street vendors occupy a significant portion of the small sidewalk space, forcing pedestrians onto vehicle-dense carriageways.
An official said two-wheeler drivers without helmets, and vans and mini-buses without seat belts have become a force in suburban areas. He said that leaving cattle on busy roads poses a risk to drivers in rural areas.
There are challenges ahead
The Kerala government has found it challenging to remove old vehicles from the roads. Furthermore, significant infrastructure investment is required to install crash barriers on accident-prone stretches, enhance traffic signals, minimize accident black spots, and enhance the sparse network of walled-off pedestrian paths.
The MVD is also said to be planning to retrain drivers of commercial vehicles, including passenger buses and trucks.
It makes the driving license test more scientific and rigorous and reduces the chances of getting such a license through bribery and middlemen.
published – December 16, 2024 at 11:59 am IST