Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP) Ravi Gupta has instructed all district Superintendents of Police (SPs) and commissioners to observe the ‘Road Safety Month’ with heightened vigilance. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has designated January 15 to February 14 as Road Safety Month. In a video conference held at the DGP office on Tuesday, Gupta discussed road safety initiatives with district SPs, commissioners, and officials from the road safety and railways wing.
The meeting included key participants such as Transport Commissioner Buddha Prakash, additional DGP (road safety and railway) Mahesh M Bhagwat, Hyderabad city police commissioner Sreenivas Reddy, DIG AV Ranganathan, Road Safety SP Sandeep, and others.
DGP Ravi Gupta emphasized the need for police officers and personnel to remain on high alert during the entire month, starting from January 15 until February 14. He proposed the establishment of road safety clubs in areas with highways and urged the creation of district road safety bureaus and Commissionerate road safety bureaus within police offices. Gupta suggested exploring the possibility of acquiring speed guns and breathalyzers through challan fine funds if necessary.
Expressing concern over the rising number of road accidents, Gupta identified engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency measures as key strategies to control them. He cited factors such as the increasing number of vehicles, lack of caution among passengers, and negligent behaviors like not wearing helmets, not using seat belts, over speeding, dangerous driving, and talking on mobile phones while driving as contributors to road accidents.
The DGP revealed that in 2022, over 7,500 individuals lost their lives in road accidents in Telangana, while the national toll stood at 1,68,000. Gupta urged the implementation of Good Samaritan felicitations to commend efforts that save lives in road accidents. He stressed that such measures should extend beyond the designated month and become integral to long-term road safety practices.
