Hyderabad Traffic Police booked 3,619 motorists for using mobile phones while driving during a special enforcement drive conducted between April 26 and October 31, officials said, as the city intensified action against a road-safety violation that can reduce driver attention and reaction time.
Two-wheeler riders accounted for the overwhelming majority of cases, with 3,469 motorists booked during the drive. The enforcement action also covered 46 three-wheeler drivers and 104 motorists driving four-wheelers.
The traffic police said using a mobile phone while driving causes distraction, slows reaction time and increases the risk of road accidents. The department described the action as part of its zero-tolerance approach towards mobile-phone use behind the wheel.
All the violators will be produced before the court along with charge sheets, and will be penalised as per law, officials said. The cases will therefore move beyond on-road enforcement, with motorists required to face the legal process associated with the alleged violations.
The figures also underline the exposure of two-wheeler users to enforcement related to distracted driving. Two-wheeler riders represented about 96 per cent of the motorists booked during the drive, based on the category-wise figures released by the traffic police. Four-wheeler motorists accounted for 104 cases, while three-wheeler drivers accounted for 46.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis said the traffic police follow a zero-tolerance policy towards mobile-phone usage while driving. He said the department would continue conducting special enforcement drives regularly and requested motorists to follow traffic rules and avoid using mobile phones while driving.
The department’s stated focus is on preventing distracted driving and improving the safety of all road users. The next formal step for those booked is their production before court with the relevant charge sheets, followed by penalties as provided under law.
