Vizag police crack down on mobile phone use while driving

Visakhapatnam: The Vizag police finally swung into action against motorists for using mobile phones while driving on the Beach Road stretch and a few other roads in the city. More than 200 motorists were booked by the police during the special enforcement drive in the past few days to curb the use of mobile phones while driving.The Vizag city police observed that, from signal jumping to mobile phone usage while driving, a mix of reckless driving behaviour and flawed road design at some locations has been fuelling a surge in road accidents in Vizag for the past few years."I have observed that some of the young auto-rickshaw drivers use the phone to access entertainment, with or without earphones on. Some drivers make video calls to family or friends," said T Anil, who used to travel in auto-rickshaws in the city.Recently, we procured two advanced speed laser guns, and we have been deploying the equipment in different locations to identify traffic violators. On average, at least 30 motorists were caught for using mobile phones while driving in the city, a senior traffic police inspector added.We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on mobile phone use while driving and will continue to conduct such drives regularly on various stretches. Using a mobile phone while driving reduces reaction time, impairs judgment on the roads and raises the risk of accidents, said ADCP traffic wing K Praveen Kumar.The use of mobile phones while driving has been brought under the dangerous driving category in the MV Act and attracts a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or up to one year in jail or both, the police added.