Visakhapatnam: Cops struggle to catch rash drivers

Visakhapatnam: The city traffic police is acting tough against those caught driving without a licence, seat belts and helmets, which are said to be the most critical for the safety of drivers, but the cops are struggling to nab the more motorists, who violate the speed limit norms in Vizag city. Though the cops have launched the drive to check the overspeeding vehicles on NH-16 stretch and a few others roads in Vizag city by using interceptors, equipped with laser-based cameras, the motorists have got an idea where the cops regularly conduct the drive, and the motorists are trying to evade the prosecution.

A motorist, K. Siva Kumar, said the cops have been carrying out checking vehicles speeding on roads at a few selected places on NH-16 and other roads. It is quiet easy for motorists to have an idea where the speed guns have been installed  and also spot the interceptors at the places from a distance and slow down, only to speed past right after the crossing them, he added. A senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, said that a total of 58,348 cases were booked for rash and overspeeding and have collected a fine of Rs 2.35 crore from the errant motorists in the past three years from 2015 to 2017 by using two-speed laser guns. The number of cases booked for rash driving has dipped to 20,841 in 2017 from 27,011 in 2016.

Many motorists, especially regular speed offenders are aware that the interceptors cannot identify number plates in the dark, the police officer added. The cops have to carry out the surprise drives at new places to curb overspeeding as over 70 per cent of the fatal and non-fatal road  accidents reported in Vizag city were due to the rash and negligent driving,” said another motorist M. Prasad, a resident of Beach Road area in Vizag city.