By Shyam Zambaulikar | NT
MARGAO
In order to keep check on drunken driving the police has initiated a drive wherein they are checking the conviction details in drunken driving and traffic violation cases during the antecedent verification process.
According to the information available from South Goa Traffic Cell from January to July, 2016 South Goa traffic cells have booked in all 1,094 cases.
Out of these 1,094 cases, highest of 444 cases have been booked by Margao traffic cell followed by 201 cases booked by Vasco traffic cell, 136 by Canacona, 127 by Curchorem, 53 by Collem, 23 by Quepem, 45 by Dabolim and 65 cases were booked by Ponda traffic cell respectively.
Sources in traffic cell said that the drive has been started as several persons are seen driving in the city in an inebriated state.
Cops are now checking conviction details in drunken driving and traffic violation cases during antecedent verification process, said the sources in Traffic Cell, South Goa.
A senior police officer said that he will issue instructions to the traffic cell to verify the conviction data of drunken driving offenders and traffic case offenders during background verification work and report the same to the employers.
Police said that driving under the influence of alcohol is considered a serious offence and a special drive conducted by the East, West and North divisions of traffic police was part of a routine exercise.
Speeding is an absolute offence and dangerous driving means one is caught driving in a way that is hazardous to people or property and the traffic police as well as city police book drivers under Motor Vehicle Act for violation, said police.
Despite this drive initiated by police against drivers, it has not yielded results as accidents rate is slowly increasing and rash and negligence driving continues. South Goa traffic cell in last seven months has booked 1,473 cases of over speeding. Out of which 595 cases were booked by Margao traffic cell itself and 410 by
Ponda traffic cell and remaining by other traffic cells.
One former police officer said that careless driving, means driving in a way that the police do not consider as to how a careful and reasonable driver should behave. For instance, pulling out from a side road without looking, or snogging your passenger while racing down the hard shoulder, he said.
Dangerous driving means if the driver is caught driving in a way that is hazardous to people or property. For instance, driving in high speed through a built up area, or overtaking on a sharp bend, he added.
However he felt that such cases are increasing in city as well in rural areas which is the root cause of increase in the number of fatal and minor accidents.