Cops launch drive to check use of extra lights on vehicles

kolkata: Kolkata Police started a drive against vehicles fitted with additional lights which can create inconvenience to others while driving.

For the past few days, several people who had fitted their two wheelers or four wheelers with additional lights were prosecuted. Senior Kolkata Police officials informed that the drive would continue to put an end to the practice.

According to sources, in the past few months several accidents had taken place across the city especially on Eastern Metropolitan (EM) Bypass due to the use of additional lights. Drivers coming from opposite directions get blinded, resulting in road accidents. There are SUVs and MUVs which have more than two costly halogen lamps. As the drivers do not know their use, they often switch them on in high beam mode within the city limits causing great inconvenience to other drivers or riders. This apart, a section of car owners and motorcycle riders use dazzling led lights on their vehicles which also cause trouble.

According to police sources, there are two ways a driver or the owner can be prosecuted for using dazzling lights or extra light fitment on the vehicles. A traffic Sergeant can prosecute a driver for use of dazzling light under section 299(1) of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules along with 177 of the Motor vehicles Act for use of dazzling light. The fine amount for this prosecution is Rs 100. Police can also deal with the offender in a much stricter way by prosecuting him or her under section 39/192 Motor Vehicles Act for violation of vehicle registration norms. The minimum fine amount for the offence is Rs 5,000, which may increase in case of second subsequent offences.