Police Act to be changed to curb mobile use by drivers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government is condering amending the Kerala Police Act to incorporate provisions to penalize those using mobile phones while driving, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday.
The chief minister made the comment when transport minister A K Saseendran was replying to a calling attention motion by E S Bijimol, MLA, on increasing road accident deaths. As many as 32,235 were cancelled for violation of traffic rules in the past two years in the state, Saseendran said. Of this, 17,788 licences were cancelled in 2018, while 14,447 were annulled in 2017, he said.
The minister said the motor vehicle department (MVD) is strictly enforcing traffic violation rules, and in the past one month alone, the department earned a revenue of Rs 2.5 crore through fines.
Saseendran said the department is also doing its best to reduce road accidents. However, there are certain things that cannot be prohibited through laws, but through educating parents and other stakeholders. He added that a large section of accident deaths involved people in the age group of 16 to 25 years.
At present, police can book motorists under Section 184 of motor vehicles act, that says "whoever drives a motor vehicle at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances of the case including the nature, condition and use of the place where the vehicle is driven and the amount of traffic which actually is at the time or which might reasonably be expected to be in the place, shall be punishable for the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and for any second or subsequent offence if committed within three years of the commission of a previous similar offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both".