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Traffic policemen’s hazards Law and order

A traffic constable recently died while on duty when a speeding vehicle knocked him down. The policeman was regulating traffic at a busy intersection on the Poonamallee High Road.

Such incidents of policemen on duty falling victims to rash driving are shocking.

Most of the mishaps occurred due to bad lighting on the roads or reckless driving. When roads are deserted at night, the tendency to drive or ride above speed limits resulted in accidents, said traffic police.

Senior police officers say that in 2007, three policemen died in such accidents in the city, while 11 were seriously injured and 21 personnel suffered minor injuries. As on date this year, one traffic policeman died and about 10 policemen suffered injuries.

Traffic policemen said that about 20 lakh vehicles were on the move in the city during rush hour.

Apart from stretches such as East Coast Road (ECR), Poonamallee High Road, Kamarajar Salai and GST Road, many other important roads, including Velachery Main Road, Anna Nagar Main Road, Ennore Highway and Ambattur Main Road are some of the places where policemen are deployed to check speeding vehicles.

There are about 2,000 policemen regulating traffic at major intersections in the city. They are exposed to air and noise pollution that can cause serious health problems.

Recent medical camps conducted for the police personnel showed that a majority of them suffered ailments such as diabetes. In a bid to tackle the issue, officers are encouraging their staff to practise yoga and stick to a diet. Be trim and alert is the mantra, an officer said.

The increase in the number of vehicles has compelled the traffic police to examine new avenues and alternatives to decongest the city and improve mobility. Keeping this in mind, many major stretches were converted into one-way traffic system.

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