The Greater City Traffic Police has started an initiative to award appreciation certificates at the traffic junctions to encourage motorists and pillion riders to wear helmets.
City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal launched the certificate awarding programme to those two-wheeler and pillion riders complying traffic rules of wearing helmets by distributing the appreciation certificates at the Vepery junction on Tuesday.
Mr. Jiwal, after launching the certificate awarding programme, said that during a special drive conducted by the City Traffic Police for two-wheeler and pillion riders who were not wearing helmets, a total of 10,08,528 cases were registered of which 9,50,702 cases pertained to the two-wheeler rider not wearing helmets and the remaining 57,826 cases registered against pillion riders.
The special enforcement drive was conducted in various traffic junctions and other arterial roads in the city from January 1 to February 12. Mr. Jiwal said despite effective enforcement and creating awareness among the motorists the percentage of two-wheeler riders complying to wear helmets have increased to 85%, only 13% pillion riders are found to be wearing helmets.
Mr. Jiwal said the Traffic Police also undertook a study of 500 fatal accidents which were recorded last year in the city in which 508 deaths occurred. In the study it was found nearly 50% of the fatalities involved two-wheeler and pillion riders not wearing helmets.
Mr. Jiwal said the City Traffic Police would be continuing the enforcement drive against non-wearing of helmets by motorists.
The City Police plans to give a total of 5,600 appreciation certificates to motorists covering all the police stations. The Traffic Police wants the recipients of the certificates to create awareness by sharing the certificate through the social media.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Kapil Kumar C. Sarathkar, and Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic-South) N.M. Mylvahanan, participated in the function.
The Traffic Police conducted a special drive to enforce vehicles have fixed the proper number plates as per the Motor Vehicles Act. During the special drive conducted on Tuesday, 6,170 vehicles were found to be having improper or fancy number plates. The Traffic Police personnel took steps to make the vehicle owners rectify the improper number plates without booking cases. A senior official of the Traffic Police said the measure was to create awareness and not to penalise the motorists.
