Safety harness compulsory for kids on two-wheelers in M’luru

Mangaluru: Mangaluru city police will monitor parents who travel on two-wheelers with children below four years without safety gear. According to deputy commissioner of police (crime & traffic) K Ravi Shankar, carrying children below four years on two-wheelers without safety harnesses constitutes a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. "As per the Supreme Court direction, a safety harness is compulsory for children below four years, and those riding two-wheelers should wear quality helmets with ISI marks, and also tie a safety harness around the child's waist. Hence, people should follow these guidelines and adhere to the law," the DCP said. The DCP also clarified that wearing seatbelts is mandatory for all car occupants, including rear-seat passengers. Instead of intercepting cars on roads, the traffic police will use artificial intelligence cameras to monitor and impose penalties on violators. Mangaluru city police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said 75 people died in various road accidents in the city limits this year. Out of these, 70 fatalities occurred due to rash and negligent driving. The majority of the deceased were youth under 30 years old. The commissioner emphasised the importance of responsible driving and warned that rash and negligent driving can lead to accidents. Highlighting the dangers of drunk driving, the top cop cited a recent incident wherein two people, including NSUI district vice-president Omshree Poojary, died in a road accident caused by a drunk driver. The commissioner noted that the driver was booked under sections 185 and 183 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, which can attract a fine up to Rs 10,000.