Ghaziabad: Traffic police will launch a month-long traffic enforcement and road safety awareness drive as part of Traffic Safety Month, observed across the state in Nov.Police will organise public awareness programmes, conduct road safety sessions in schools and collaborate with theatre artists to stage street plays for the entire duration of the campaign.To mark the beginning of the drive, the additional police commissioner (law and order) on Saturday flagged off a grand traffic awareness rally at Police Line.Police officers and personnel, women traffic constables, e-rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers, and members of various social organisations attended the rally.Additional police commissioner (traffic) Varun Singh said that some of the key objectives of the drive are to increase awareness among the general public about traffic rules, prevention of road accidents and ensure a safe, smooth and disciplined traffic system.“We will run special campaigns for the use of helmets, seat belts, and driving within speed limits, as well as drives against drinking and driving, jumping red lights, using mobile phones while driving and driving by minors. We have already deployed personnel in different points as well,” he said.Fatality rates in road accidents increased by 12% in Ghaziabad, according to data shared by traffic police officers.A total of 461 accidents took place from Jan 1 to May 31 this year, in which 186 people were killed and 342 were injured, the statistics showed. During the same period in 2025, 459 accidents were reported, in which 165 people died and 346 were injured.This year, the maximum number of accidents across the district took place due to rash driving and speeding. After studying the cases from Jan to May, more than 30% of accidents happened due to rash driving, while more than 15% of accidents took place due to speeding.A separate study also found that more than 30% of accidents in the district, including on Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway, occurred because of illegal parking of vehicles.
