According to the reports by Bengaluru Traffic Police, the number of cases booked for not wearing seatbelts while driving increased from 1,23,000 cases in 2022 to 5,32,0001 cases till August 2023, which is more than double of the last-year.
Dr. Anil Kumar Grampurohit, Traffic Police Inspector said that the police imposeRs. 500 fines for the first offense and for the subsequent offence Rs. 1000 fine is charged. Bengaluru Traffic Police has installed AI -enabled Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor the rising cases booked for not wearing seatbelts, he said.
According to a reportsthe Central Consumer Protection Authority of India has issued an order to stop the usage of stopper seatbelt clips through online platforms in India, but people are still continuing to use these clips to stop the warning sound given by the vehicles, which indicates that the passengers are not wearing their seatbelts.“I have seen many cab drivers using clips to avoid the beep sound,” said Siddhangana Anand, a regular commuter from Vasanth Nagar.
Traffic management expert Anurag Kulshresthasaid that there are many cases booked but it is also important to note how many violators pay the fine. “Fines are not paid in about 70 to 85 percentof cases booked for violation throughAI-driven cameras used by the police,” he said. There is an avoidance of law in people’s mind, he added.
So, both the physical presence of policemen and technology such as AI cameras are neededto stop the violation of traffic rules by the people. “Without proper enforcement and monitoring, it will not work by only creating awareness to the people,” he added.
