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Book drag racer for homicide, says traffic experts

Stunts and drag racing usually happen on newly-laid and deserted roads or during non-peak hours.

Bengaluru: Traffic experts and activists have opined that the biker who tried to carry out stunts with his vehicle, which led to the death of pillion rider Shiny Kiran K, after she fell and came under the wheels of a mini truck, should have been booked for culpable homicide.

“The Indiranagar traffic police have conveniently booked the bike rider and the truck driver under 304-A, which is culpable homicide not amounting to murder. But in an event of a bike stunt or a stunt attempt with a pillion rider, whose safety solely is of the rider’s responsibility, and if the driver gambles with the life of the pillion rider, then he should be booked for culpable homicide and not 304-A. Ideally the truck driver can be booked under 304-A according to the turn of events,” said M.N. Srihari, traffic expert. “By booking the rider under IPC 304, the system will send a strong message to the youth who attempt these kind of stunts by not only risking their own lives, but of others,” Srihari added. It all starts from home, parents should keep a track of their sons or daughter and what they are up to?. The city traffic police cannot have a control over this kind of a trend even if they conduct special drives and book as many number of riders or seize their bikes.

“If the cops catch at one place, the bike stuntsmen or the racers shift to another,” he said.

The city police very well have information about wherever these sorts of stunts and drag racing happen, but since they are short-staffed and saddle with many other responsibilities, they are not able to effectively control this menace, said a police source.

Stunts and drag racing usually happen on newly-laid and deserted roads or during non-peak hours. They prefer roads such as NICE road, Davis Road in Cox Town, M.G. Road and the road to KIAL. In most cases, bike riders resort to impromptu wheelies and stoppies, and there are cases where these stunts and races are organised by a group of bike lovers, who chose the spot and the contestants at random place and time to escape police action, police said.

Even if colleges initiate safety protocols for bike riding, once the students are out of the campus, they are on their own and often left to do whatever they feel like, said an activist. He blamed parents for such an attitude and lifestyle among their wards.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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