Open House: What measures can the Chandigarh Police take to promote safe driving habits?

Ensure road infra is up to mark

Speeding cars claim far too many lives and the latest accidents has once again shook the tricity. The authorities should review what exactly went wrong. Besides, maintaining the quality of the road and ensuring proper signals, cuts, and other amenities like resting areas for long-route travelers can go a long way in reducing risks. Public transport should also be encouraged.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Increase police-public cooperation

It would seem that all is not well with law enforcing agencies. The main reason that has led to more road mishaps has to be the laxity shown by both the authorities and public. We simply do not give importance to safety and that mindset needs to change. By exhibiting some sense of responsibility and increasing cooperation, the mishaps can be brought down effectively.

VS Aggarwal, Chandigarh

Get creative with safety warnings

Promoting safe driving habits and punitive measures apart, wrong-side driving and high speed can be curbed with displaying sign boards specifying speed limits on various inner roads and main roads in the urban tricity. Speed breakers at intervals on busy inner roads too can help. Repeated reminders on roads like “speed thrills but kills” and “better late than never” and “speed compounds damage”, can alert speeding drivers to see reason.Thank you

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Lenient laws are to blame

The main cause of rising traffic offences is lenient laws. Ticket for the offense, depositing challan fee is a matter in routine. The need is for more stringent laws. In case of fatal accidents, the erring driver is charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, but even that has a provision for bail. Therefore, the act needs to be modified to be more stringent. Besides, for multiple offences, the challan  should  cover each offence with its  pecuniary effect.  In case of habitual offenders, the driving license should be cancelled. Periodical workshops  on traffic and road safety discipline by the traffic officers at educational institutions should also be held  to raise awareness.

SS Arora, Mohali

Tech boost required

Speed cameras and automated number plate recognition can be installed to monitor and penalise speeding vehicles effectively. Work with urban planners to redesign accident - prone areas, adding speed bumps, better signage and pedestrian crossings. Patrolling in high risk-areas must be increased and enforce stricter penalties for violation like speeding drunk driving and using mobile phones while driving. Above all, organise seminars and public awareness drives to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding and reckless driving.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Need to regulate speed

Speed thrills but kills, the idiom is rightly applicable for the recent accidents that claimed precious lives. Why don’t the authorities ask the automobile industry to put speed governors in all the four vehicles on the same lines as the seat belts are mandatory in all the vehicles. Last but not the least, the licence of all those persons jumping the red lights and doing overspending should immediately be cancelled and they should be put behind the bars along with hefty fines besides impounding their vehicles.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Encourage drivers to obey traffic rules

Accident cases have been increasing for a long time even in a modern, beautiful and well-planned modern city like Chandigarh. It has straight and smooth roads along with efficient traffic lights. The need then is to encourage drivers to obey traffic rules and use proper helmets and seat-belts without hesitation. They should adopt the stop, look and go formula. All traffic lights should be maintained the same design and time. Utilisation of mobiles must be strictly banned for drivers.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Expand CCTV monitoring system

CCTVs centralised monitoring with challan option can curb the menace of over speeding. Special attention is needed during wee hours and midnight when roads are decongested. Strict punishment for over speeding and unlicenced/ juvenile driving can lessen the fatal accidents. Awareness must be generated at school level to obey traffic rules.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Build AI-powered surveillance system

To curb, curtail and control road casualties, AI cameras should take the front grid to track down speeding cars and notify the nearest police constables to charge them, leading to safer roads for the populace.

Parisha Khatri, Chandigarh

Increase number of eyes on ground

In light of recent accidents in Chandigarh due to speeding, it’s imperative for the UT police to adopt a comprehensive approach to promote safe driving. Along with issuing challans, increased surveillance through speed cameras and drones can help monitor high-risk areas. Public awareness campaigns via social media and educational programs in schools and workplaces will highlight the dangers of reckless driving. Strengthening enforcement with visible traffic police, surprise checks, and stricter penalties for repeat offenders is crucial. Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Organise awareness campaign

The police must run an awareness campaign in schools and colleges to educate young drivers. The police should join the Chandigarh Education Department to run a mandatory short-term course on road sense for the students. Regular visits to the Traffic Park in Sector 23 can help inculcate safe driving habits among students. The UT traffic police should equip patrolling teams with speed gun radars to catch offenders.

Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh

Elist NGOs to promote awareness

Global data shows that 1.3 million die due to road accidents every year, with the majority of victims being children and young people. There is a need to recognise that streets revolve around people rather than being solely designed for vehicles. It can be done by fostering partnerships between different stakeholders including the transport industry, government and NGOs to promote societal awareness and action by focusing on road safety initiatives and campaigns.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Stringent punishment can act as deterrent

The cases of rash driving by drunken lads is increasing by the day. The recent case of horror driving and its impact has compelled us to think why such cases are escalating. Lack of fear of strong punishment among the underage and drunken drivers does is to blame. Unless stringent punishments are imposed such incidents will happen in future. So far as underage drivers are found sans driving license, parents/guardians should be prosecuted to set an example.

Gobind Ahuja, Chandigarh

Pay attention to accident-prone areas

The UT police should increase the visibility of law enforcement in high-accident areas and black spots to deter speeding and reckless driving by launching additional targeted mobile patrols. An efficient procedure should be introduced for the public to report unsafe driving behaviours or dangerous road conditions. Physical measures like additional speed bumps should be constructed to keep a check on reckless drivers. At dense junctions and in high-volume traffic zones, additional CCTV cameras should be installed with technology-driven monitoring mechanisms to punish the defaulters.

Brigadier Advitya Madan, Chandigarh

Ramp up night patrolling

To avoid accidents, the traffic police should not allow parking if vehicles on roads, especially at night and that be done by increased patrolling. Split roads or curve near bus stops under flood light be used for checking of documents of vehicles. The traffic police personnel be trained throughout the country in this regard.

Kishore Chand Rana, Chandigarh

Make use to state-of-the-art technology

UT administration has spent crores on CCTV cameras and computerisation of traffic management, issue of challans and recovery of fines. But still, things are mismanaged. Involvement of police men should be made nil. Only the full use of technology can help reduce accidents. Large roundabouts have blocked much of the road spaces, block rainwater flow, require more numbers of traffic lights and thus will need more attention.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

Impart youngsters with knowledge

The police should create awareness among people. They can organise seminars in educational institutions as most of the rule violators are youngsters only. They can spread awareness through electronic and print media. Police can collaborate with organisations that provide safe driving courses. Police can work out with businesses to develop a system wherein the employees who have a good and clean driving record are rewarded.

Gursimran Singh , Panchkula

Need to establish accountability

Weak policing lets violators flee with impunity, while innocent people are harassed. The Porsche case exposes biased law enforcement. High-speed patrol vehicles, tyre spikes, and bodycams are urgently needed. Killers on wheels must face imprisonment, no bail, or everyone will claim “mistakes” and escape accountability, undermining road safety.

Pranav Kanwal, Chandigarh