In Visakhapatnam, the deputy transport department has taken action against 837 individuals by confiscating their driving licenses and addressing 2,500 cases of helmet violations over the past ten days. This initiative is part of a focused enforcement campaign to ensure that all riders, including those in the Pavilion area, adhere to helmet regulations. G.C. Raja Ratnam, the Deputy Transport Commissioner of Vizag, mentioned in an interview with the Deccan Chronicle that individuals found breaching the helmet law will face a three-month suspension of their licenses. The process of license cancellations is currently in progress, and the licenses of the remaining 2,500 violators will soon be revoked.
Raja Ratnam further clarified that first-time offenders will undergo a three-month license suspension, while second-time offenders will face a six-month suspension. For third-time offenders, their vehicles will be confiscated, and their licenses will be cancelled for a year. ADCP Traffic Commissioner K. Praveen Kumar highlighted that 40 teams have been assembled to support this enforcement effort. Notably, the rate of helmet rule violations in Visakhapatnam is relatively low, with approximately 85% of two-wheeler riders complying with the regulation.
Recently, the Andhra Pradesh High Court issued a directive to the state government to promptly implement the Motor Vehicles Act regulations, which mandate the use of head guards by two-wheeler riders. According to research conducted by the Ministry of Road Transport in 2022, a significant number of fatalities and injuries were attributed to non-compliance with helmet wearing. In Andhra Pradesh, 2,073 two-wheeler riders and 970 pillion riders lost their lives, while over 4,000 riders and 2,600 pillion passengers sustained injuries due to not wearing helmets.
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