Port City not keen on seat belt rule

TNN

Mangalore, 24 April 2012: Motorists in this port city are tad lucky than those living in Bangalore as the Mangalore city police have not yet enforced the seat belt rule.

 

Youngest among four city police units in Karnataka, traffic policing related priorities for Mangalore City Police is different compared to counterparts in Bangalore. Generally, driving without wearing seat belts will result in fines, and if repeated, then it will attract stricter action.Bangalore police started a crack down on motorists not wearing seat belts. This was started in February after a month-long concerted awareness campaign. MA Saleem, additional Commissioner of police (Traffic), said, "Such a campaign and crackdown is must for Bangalore, which has 41 lakh vehicles.

 

This city has the second highest vehicle population in India after the national capital, which boasts of 52 lakh vehicles.

 

Acknowledging the success of crackdown on motorists’ not wearing seat belts in Bangalore has had a salutary effect on motorists there, city police chief Seemant Kumar Singh, said, "The scenario and priorities here are different. We focus more on cracking down on drunken driving, triple riding and bikers without helmets." He added that surprise checks on vehicles for documentation too is another focus area for police here."The road conditions here do not make sense for traffic police to book motorists not wearing seat belts," Seemant said, adding that booking cases for statistics is not worthwhile. "This (issue) is however on our minds," he said. Meanwhile, Saleem said, "Second offence attracts a fine of Rs 300 with first offence setting one back by Rs 100 and third offence attracting suspension of driving license." He added that 60,000 cases have been booked in Bangalore.

 

"Application of Section 177 of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 that makes it mandatory for motorists to wear seat belts has seen drivers of government and police vehicles getting fined for not following rules," Saleem noted. Most drivers of government vehicles in Mangalore are not used to wearing seat belts, Seemant said, adding a campaign of sorts undertaken in Bangalore is needed here to bring about awareness among motorists.