Earlier this month, we reported that the Road Traffic Office was looking to crack down on four major causes of road accidents in Goa. To do that, they implemented a two-week road traffic drive from May 2 to May 18 to catch violators who were driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, using mobile phones, or employing tinted glasses on their vehicles. These violations were specifically chosen because they lead to the maximum number of road accidents. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Dharmesh Angle said, “We stick to offences that are responsible for maximum accidents on the road. These four violations are directly linked to accidents, which is why these offences will be given maximum attention during the drive.”
In April of this year, Goa registered 284 road accidents. Out of these, 27 fatalities were recorded. These figures were shared by the Directorate of Transport. In fact, the detailed report broke down the fatalities in the report, say that of the 27 deaths that were caused, 11 of them were motorcycle riders, 1 was a motorist, there were 6 pedestrians, 7 passengers, 1 cyclist, and 1 other commuter. All of these lost their lives due to various negligences. The report also mentioned that a total of 4,726 challans were issued for the month of April.
Keeping this in mind, the Road Traffic Drive to curb accidents due to negligence in May was held, and the number of offences registered was overwhelming. In the 17 days that the drive was held, almost 6000 cases were booked. To be precise, the exact number of cases was 5,863. The major focus of the drive was cars with tinted glasses, give that there was a concern to keep a vigil on vehicles passing through and around the state in view of the Lok Sabha Elections. Tinted glasses had their films removed on the spot, and accounted for 4,524 cases. In addition to these cases, there were 519 cases of drunken driving registered, 544 cases of speeding, and 276 cases of motorists caught using mobile phones while driving. Let’s hope that all this hard work contributes to a lower number of accidents and subsequently fatalities for the month of May.
What are your thoughts on the drive that was held? Do you think the Traffic Police need to conduct more such activities? Or is it too harsh? Let us know in the comments below.
