Police crack down on cellphone use while driving, 15K people fined this yr
One-hundred and fifty people have been penalised every day this year so far for using phones while driving, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Sunday, adding that a total of 15,846 people were prosecuted till April 15.According
to the data shared by the traffic police, the number this year has increased as at least 60 people were penalised last year during the corresponding time from January 1 to April 15.
“As part of our proactive approach to enhancing road safety, we have initiated a targeted crackdown against individuals using phones while driving. The offenders are issued challans according to traffic regulations to deter such behaviour and promote responsible driving habits,” said a senior police officer aware of the matter.
Last year, the number of people penalised for using phones was 6,369 till April 15. Officials said this implies there has been a surge of 149% in prosecution this year within the first three-and-ahalf months.
According to traffic police statistics, the Punjabi Bagh traffic circle topped the list of 10 circles that reported the most number of challans against people caught using phones while driving this year. The circle reported 845 such challans and was followed by the Tilak Nagar and the Kalkaji traffic circles which reported 810 and 797 challans, respectively, against violators.
The Najafgarh traffic circle
stood at the bottom of the list with 507 such challans. The other traffic circles between Kalkaji and Najafgarh were Nangloi (772), Karol Bagh (675), Defence Colony (670), Sangam Vihar (662), Dwarka (556), and Safdarjung Enclave (522).
The officer quoted above said that in recent months, the Delhi Traffic Police observed a disturbing surge in the use of phones while driving.
Special commissioner of police (traffic zone-ii) HGS Dhaliwal said that apart from cracking down on violators, traffic police conducted a detailed analysis.
“By highlighting the regions with the highest frequency of such traffic violations, the study enables focused enforcement actions to increase road safety. Traffic police are actively engaging in public awareness campaigns to educate motorists about the dangers of using phones while driving,” he said.