Dip in number of seat-belt rule violators

BENGALURU:  Increased surveillance has made Bengalueans more aware and law-abiding in following traffic rules like wearing seat belts, said M A Saleem, special commissioner, Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP). Saleem said the number of people fined for not wearing seat belts came down from 1,36,000 in 2021 to 89,230 till November 30, 2022. He added that people have become more cautious and can be seen wearing seat belts in both driver and passenger seats.

Wearing of seat belts was made mandatory in Karnataka in October this year. As per the decision the violators would attract a penalty of Rs 1,000. Saleem, however, said that no fine was imposed on passengers who were found not wearing seat belts in the rear seats. He said new cars have advanced features like automatic beep when people do not wear seat belts.

The CCTV cameras in the city also capture images of both the driver and front passenger which helps in implementing the rule. So far, 330 cameras for tracking traffic violations and 3,000 surveillance cameras have been installed in the city.

Kalakrishna Swamy, DCP, Traffic East, also highlighted that in 2022, around 50,000 people were fined in Bengaluru East itself. She said that people have become more aware of following rules and regulations on the roads while travelling when compared to previous years.

The traffic police officers have urged the citizens to continue following the rules during the upcoming travel season as well.

SPECIAL DRIVE AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING TILL JANUARY 1
If you are drunk, book a cab to your home from till January 1 as the traffic police are conducting special drives to book drink-and-drive cases. Police personnel will be stat­i­o­­ned at junctions near pubs, bars and restaurants and other places which serve liquor. During a coordination meeting with the repres­entatives of New Year and Christmas party organisers, City top cop CH Pratap Reddy had advised them to arrange for cab aggregators or make travel arrangements for their customers after the event. On Friday night, the traffic police booked 146 cases. “The drive is aimed at averting fatal accidents which happen becau­se of drunk drivers. The vehicles will be seized, and they have to deposit the fine in courts,” said an officer of the Bengaluru North traffic division.