Traffic violation in Delhi: Number of vehicles jumping red light rises two times

The national capital has seen a steep rise in traffic violations within the first three months of the year. Delhi Police released data on the number of cases traffic rules were violated between January 1 and March 15 this year. The data shows that traffic violation like jumping red light at traffic signals has shot up by 200 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. The violations were caught through CCTV cameras installed at key intersections around the city.

According to data shared by Delhi Police, the traffic violation of jumping red light has been mostly observed in southern part of the city. Most of the traffic violations took place in areas like Nauroji Nagar, Naraina, Moolchand, Bhikaji Cama Place, Moti Bagh, Lajpat Nagar and Andrews Ganj among others. Overall, Delhi Police issued 69,296 challans to vehicles violating the traffic rule. The number of such traffic violation was at 21,089 last year.

Delhi Police has installed 3D radar-based Red-Light Violation Detection (RLVD) cameras at intersections to monitor such traffic violations. These cameras help detect vehicles violating the traffic rule while sending the details of all those vehicles to the control room. The central team then issued e-challans to these vehicles under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Jumping red lights is one of the most common traffic violations seen in Delhi as well as other parts of the country. It is one of the key reasons behind rising number of road accidents. Delhi Police has launched campaign to crack dow on such traffic violators. "Red-light jumping, a reckless behaviour often leading to fatal accidents and disruptions in traffic flow, has been a persistent challenge on Delhi's roads. Recent statistics reveal a disturbing trend of disregard for traffic signals, endangering the lives of pedestrians, cyclists and fellow motorists," a Delhi Police official said.

Besides the use of RLVD, Delhi Police is also planning to use innovative technology to ensure traffic rule is followed. It plans to use CCTV cameras, automated monitoring systems and digital platforms to report and manage traffic violations.

Besides jumping red light, some of the other major traffic violations witnessed in Delhi is riding without helmets, not carrying valid pollution certificate, drunk driving, wrong-side driving and triple riding.