The Delhi Traffic police has announced plans to carry out special drills to train its personnel in dealing with errant drivers. The personnel will also be trained on how to keep themselves safe while flagging down reckless drivers.
The menace of reckless driving was brought to the fore again after a 25-year-old constable was crushed to death on Saturday evening by a speeding Ritz he was trying to flag down.
In fact, police statistics show that in the past four years, 10 on-duty traffic personnel were crushed by speeding vehicles.
Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander said, ?Traffic personnel stand on busy stretches without any kind of protective gear or barriers. They cannot stand behind barricades as they need to be visible. They have to deal with vehicles which are being driven rashly or at high speeds. Some even drive drunk. Hence, officers are vulnerable. But they need to realise that their life is more important to us than prosecutions.?
?We will be carrying out drills to teach them that they should never try blocking a speeding vehicle by standing in front of it. Instead, they should note down the number and penalise the driver later,? Chander said.
The officer said he lost 10 of his men in similar accidents. ?All these officers were killed while they were trying to flag down speeding vehicles. Some were mowed down by trucks, some by cars and some by bikes,? Chander said.
Traffic police also said there was a need to make motorists understand that they would be heavily penalised if they do not abide by rules. To ensure this, the Traffic police is planning to run a campaign against speeding and to sensitise motorists about respecting traffic personnel who risk their lives every day.
?Traffic personnel risk their lives to make sure that the traffic runs smoothly. There is a need to sensitise public and we are
planning to run a campaign for it,? an officer said.