KOZHIKODE: The traffic offenders in the city found themselves taking an oath to follow road rules strictly when they came across a spot where the police were conducting a novel traffic awareness programme on Thursday. Ten youngsters riding bikes, who were caught red-handed for not wearing helmets and other offences, were made to take the oath which said: "We will ride vehicles with utmost care and will not ride without wearing helmet." The pledge was read out by traffic assistant commissioner (North) P.K. Raju. The youngsters were let off without fines also.
The city police had identified 168 accident-prone spots last year and started marking them as 'black spots' in red on January 22. The 100th 'black spot' was marked on Thursday in front of Salkara Hotel, East Nadakkavu, in memory of Moideenkutty of Perumanna who died in a scooter accident on December 6 last year. The oath-taking by the offenders at the spot was organised by city police commissioner Kaliraj S. Mahesh Kumar and team.
Addressing a press conference later City police commissioner Kaliraj S Mahesh Kumar said that the idea of spot-marking was inspired by the fact that out of 184 deaths from 168 accidents in the city last year, 108 were two-wheeler riders. "The marking would remind the riders that they are passing through a spot where another was killed recently," he added. The programme was started on January 22 at Moozhikkal where Prajith, 41, his wife Shimna and son Abhishek, 13, died in a bike accident on December 17 last year. Traffic circle inspector T.P. Sreejith also was present.
