Prosecution cases against over-speeding on the rise

Kolkata: With strict steps taken by the state police to curb road accidents, the number of prosecution against over-speeding of vehicles has gone up by 50 percent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to that of the corresponding period in the previous year.

This comes at the time when over-speeding of a Ferrari that claimed a life on National Highway 6 on Sunday. A Ferrari California T hit against railing of a flyover at Pakuria in Howrah and it led to the death of businessman Shibaji Roy.

According to the data prepared by the state police, there were a total of 8531 cases of over-speeding in the area that comes under the jurisdiction of the West Bengal Police in the first three months of 2017.

However, with strict measures taken by the state police to enforce the law, the number has gone up to 17,030 in between January and March in 2018.

Comparing the data of the first quarter of the two consecutive years, a rise of around 50 percent in the rate of prosecution against over-speeding was found.

Out of the 17,030 cases, as many as 2,412 were in the area under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, 1,243 in Murshidabad, 1,098 in North Dinajpur and 1,466 in East Midnapore. A senior police officer said the police have taken necessary steps and it has led to the prosecution against over-speeding of vehicles.

People caught flouting traffic norms by driving vehicles above the permitted speed limit are booked under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The cops also slap a fine on those who are caught indulging in over-speeding and the amount of fine goes up if it is found that the person had flouted the same earlier.

The police have become more vigilant in ensuring that over speeding of vehicles can be checked and in the past two years after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched the statewide Safe Drive Save Life campaign, several steps to check over-speeding of vehicles have been implemented. Explaining the reason behind the increase in the rate of prosecution against over-speeding, a senior police officer said speed cameras have been installed at different places to record speed of vehicles and it has helped in checking the "menace" besides the strict police vigil.

It may be mentioned that the prosecution against over-speeding has also helped in the reduction of the number of accidents in the state in the past two years.