Street-racing fatalities have prompted the city police to initiate a crackdown on speeding and rash and negligent driving.
City Police Commissioner P. Prakash said alcohol-impaired driving was the leading cause of road fatalities.
In October alone, the police booked 1,621 persons for drunk driving. Many of them were young two-wheeler riders. They were just a small fraction of the offenders.
Specific road segments in the city, some of which are surveillance camera-blind spots, have become venues for road racing and motorcycle stunts such as wheelies. The Manaveeyam road is one such stretch. Shangumugham beach road is a favourite belt for youth driving high-performance cars to execute high-risk stunts such as high-speed handbrake turns.
An influx of souped-up two-wheelers and cars re-tuned for more power has added to the law enforcement’s traffic troubles.
The police are trying different approaches to address the issue. One is a zero-tolerance approach to drunk driving. Traffic enforcement is now mostly on predictable routes at foreseeable timings. The pattern is set to change. Night enforcement will be stepped up. The police will equip officers with portable breath analysers.
The police will also procure the latest speed detection cameras with automatic number plate recognition ability. The devices will cover accident black spots.
