The government has resolved to crack down on irresponsible driving by declaring that overspeeding and jumping the red light would attract a three-month suspension of the motor vehicle driving licence. According to Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, the new rule will help in discouraging the increasing cases of road accidents due to traffic violations. They feel that stricter punishments should be applied to teach some discipline to motorists to make the roads safe for all.
Under the new directive, any driver caught with a violation of being found guilty of overspeeding or red light jumping will be automatically suspended for three months of a driving licence suspension. The step is included in a larger project to tighten the belt on traffic violations and reduce the very high number of accidents caused by careless driving habits. According to the officials, such breaches not only pose danger to the life of the driver, but also to the pedestrians and other road users. It will result in the prevention of irresponsible driving and decreasing instances of recidivism on the Indian roads.
They have also been asked to enforce the law and be more vigilant on the traffic offences through improved forms of technology, such as the use of automated cameras and the introduction of digital challan systems. Another idea that the government has is to connect the records of e-challan to driving licences so that the suspension can be initiated automatically in case of repeated violations. This computerization will keep the process clear and reduce the involvement of people, whereby punishment will be given equally.
This is because there has been a sharp increase in road accidents in India in recent years due to violations of speed limits and traffic lights. Even after the constant awareness efforts and traffic mobilization, the violation is still rife in the cities. The authorities now wish that the fear of license suspension will be a good deterrent. The citizens are also being encouraged to obey the traffic regulations and collaborate with the officials to enforce the law to ensure safer roads.
The people have decided with mixed reactions. Although there are motorists who feel this rule is very stringent and may be misused by the traffic personnel, there are those who feel that the rule is long overdue, as it will help in the reduction of risky driving habits. Traffic experts, on the other hand, argue in favour of the move, noting that the implementation of traffic laws needs to be stricter to reduce the accident rate. The hope of this new measure is that the government sends an unmistakable message that road safety is again a collective responsibility and that any infraction will no longer be condoned.
