Safety manual to help train cops

A road safety manual, prepared by the transport department, was released on Monday to help train traffic police officers on some key measures needed to ensure the safety of road users.

Home Minister M B Patil, who released the manual, called upon the public to cooperate with the police by being responsible. "The police had identified 49 blackspots in the city and took several measures, which helped bring down the number of crime cases from 793 to about 600 over the past two years. However, the general public should do their part to become active players in upholding safety on the road," he said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar expressed concern over commuters bypassing traffic rules. "The use of mobile phones while driving is banned. But people still use it via Bluetooth devices. Many try to get away by not wearing helmets and hardly anyone follows lane discipline," he said.

The number of accidents in Bengaluru have come down from about 7,500 in 2016 to about 4,600 last year. The fatalities, which had reduced to 642 in 2017 from 793 in 2016, went up again last year to 684.

The transport department also released a mini book on road safety for children, which contained illustrated examples of the dos and don'ts while using the roads. A road safety brochure was also distributed among the participants.

Police inspectors from Hebbal, Magadi, Jayanagar, Madiwala and Ulsoor were felicitated for their performance. Several sub-inspectors and constables were also recognised for their commendable work.