In a bid to reduce accidents and check speeding, the Tiruvallur police are in the process of installing laser-enabled speed detectors equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system on TADA-GNT Road and Tiruttani-Tiruvallur Road. This is the first time such a facility is being introduced in the State.
Up to August 2017, the Tiruvallur traffic police have registered 3,391 over-speeding cases. The number of cases was 1,075 in 2016 and 989 in 2015. The number of fatal accidents was 279, 429 and 358 in 2017, 2016 and 2015.
One of the most common reasons for the accidents was over-speeding on highways.
The Tiruvallur police initially thought of installing speed guns fitted on tripods. However, this may lead to manpower wastage.
“So when the idea to set up number plate recognition cameras at traffic junctions cropped up, we thought of equipping it with laser-enabled speed detection systems,” said M.R. Sibi Chakravarthy, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur.
The cameras will be set up at strategic points nearly 10 km from toll gates. The traffic police and toll gate officials will be provided with high-end phones. “Once an over-speeding vehicle is detected, the registration number will be sent to the nearest toll gate and the police. The vehicle will be detained at the toll gate and legal action will be taken,” said an official.
The cameras can also help nab robbers or smugglers fleeing or entering the district after committing a crime.
Monitoring room
“We are also installing the ANPR systems along with cameras at 11 traffic signals at important exit-entry points in the district to record all the vehicle numbers. All this will be monitored at a central monitoring room in the Superintendent of Police office,” added a Tiruvallur police source.
S. Velmurugan, head of the Traffic Engineering and Safety Division, CSIR-CRRI, said that it would be a good move if ANPR was clubbed with laser-based speed detection systems.
