11,000 offenders fined in last two months for using mobile phones while riding two-wheelers: Pune city traffic police

Pune: The city's traffic police have fined over 11,000 two-wheeler riders over the last two months under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act for steering their vehicles while talking on their mobile phones."A fine of Rs 1,000 each was imposed on first-time offenders, while Rs 10,000 each was collected from repeat offenders identified during our action," additional commissioner of police Manoj Patil told TOI.Last year, the police had booked 42,838 two-wheeler riders for similar offences, while another 24,724 motorists were fined in 2024 for this traffic violation, he said.The traffic police had nabbed 2,300 two-wheeler riders in the first two months of 2024, and the number increased to 5,200 during the corresponding period in 2025. This year, it has doubled.The crackdown is also focusing on three- and four-wheeler drivers, as well as bus drivers, but the highest number of offenders caught has been two-wheeler riders."Talking on a cellphone while driving is a major cause of distraction on roads and has led to many fatal accidents. The reaction time of two-wheeler riders using mobile phones is significantly reduced. This lack of attention and presence of mind often results in accidents," Patil said."My team has also observed that two-wheeler riders often lose balance and fall while talking on the phone, as they use their hands for the phone instead of the handlebars," he added, "Another observation is that such riders tend to change lanes frequently and suddenly alter their direction without giving proper indicators.""However, it is difficult to catch four-wheeler drivers using phones, as they often use speaker mode or connect their phones to the vehicle's music system. Nevertheless, using mobile phones for calls or texting can also lead to accidents among four-wheeler drivers," Patil said.The officer also said, "The maximum cases were identified using CCTV footage, in which photographic evidence is clearly taken and then a challan issued. It becomes impossible for the offender to refute the charge in this case."Tanmay Pendse, a road safety activist, told TOI, "People using mobile phones or headphones while driving are not only risking their own lives, but also endangering others on the road. Some car or SUV drivers even claim they watch films on their phones while stuck in traffic, which is irresponsible.""One must pay full attention to driving and road conditions. Mobile phone usage while driving causes distraction, and even a one-second delay can lead to loss of life," Pendse said, adding, "I have personally witnessed multiple road accidents, fortunately none fatal, caused by drivers distracted by mobile phones."