Turn off blinding headlights or get ready to pay a fine

Just be cautious the next time you drive your car with high-beam headlights on. For, the traffic police may stop you and book a case, besides imposing a fine.

The City Traffic police have decided to initiate stern action against violators, as this is found to have led to a rise in the number of accidents.

“This offence is one of the primary contributing factors for increasing accidents, both fatal and non-fatal. We have decided to take strict measures to ensure safety on roads.

We will conduct regular drives and penalise offenders,” B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) told Deccan Herald. The police will conduct surprise drives, may be thrice a week, all over the City.

The police conducted a special drive on Saturday night at several places and booked 104 cases against vehicles with dazzling lights. It is an offence under Section 177 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act (improper use of headlights). Penalty for the first offence is Rs 100 and for subsequent offences, it is up to Rs 300, he said.

The Bangalore City Traffic East division, which comprises upmarket localities such as Sadashivanagar, Ashok Nagar, Wilson Garden, Indiranagar, K R Puram, Ulsoor, Shivajinagar, Pulakeshinagar and Banaswadi, contribute for more such violations, police said.

The offence is risking the lives of pedestrians and travellers in vehicles coming from opposite directions. The police have noticed that five per cent to 10 per cent of the accidents are taking place mainly to due to vehicles with dazzling headlights.

A survey indicated that a majority of the offenders are youth belonging to affluent families. The offences were noticed only after 9 pm, ACP (traffic-planning) Kanaka Kumar said. A large number of violations #involve high-end model cars.

The police conducted special checks for drunken driving at 100 places and inspected 12,789 vehicles (18 trucks, 23 autorickshaws, 156 cars, 595 two-wheelers, 10 cabs and 13 tempo travellers).

About 815 drivers, including a woman driver, were found to have been drunk while driving. The alcometer showed the alcohol level in the blood of seven passengers at 550 mg, against the permitted level of 30 mg, the ACP said.

The police would write to regional transport authorities, recommending suspension of driving licences of the offenders, he added.