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BENGALURU: Ensure your vehicle is fitted with rear-view mirrors and the indicators are in working condition before you hit the road. Bengaluru city traffic police said they will start cracking down on vehicles not meeting these requirements.

The move comes as part of the measures being implemented to reduce accidents. The penalty for each of these offences is Rs 500 and cases will be booked under the Motor Vehicles Act.

A review of accidents reported across the city revealed that a majority of them could have been averted had riders/drivers taken a look into their rear-view mirrors or had switched on indicators while taking sudden turns, said joint commissioner of police (traffic) BR Ravikanthe Gowda.

“A look into the rear-view mirror before taking a turn will help avoid accidents. Switching on indicators will alert other road users, signalling that you will be taking a turn. Not only moving vehicles, even the ones parked by the roadside such as trucks and cabs often fail to switch on parking lights or indicators. There are many examples of fatal accidents, where the rider or driver would have rammed into such parked vehicles. Again, switching on indicators or parking lights could have saved lives in such instances,” he said.

However, vehicles users from the city seem to have their own reasons for not having mirrors. “Initially, I used to open both the rear-view mirrors of my car. Twice they were broken by vehicles overtaking mine or those coming from the opposite direction. Since then, whenever I drive inside the city, I fold both the mirrors to protect them. Each mirror costs at least Rs 1,500 and the rate is more for high-end cars and SUVs,” said Shashikumar DS, a retired private company employee from JP Nagar.

N Varun, a degree student from Rajajinagar, said his bike’s rear-view mirrors were broken when he left the vehicle in the college parking lot. “Students randomly flip the mirrors to comb their hair. Gradually, the plastic thread holding the mirror becomes weak and it starts dangling,” he said, adding: “Many youngsters also consider mirrors uncool.”

“Most of the motorbikes of youngsters are without mirrors,” said Ravikanthe Gowda, underlining the fact that many find mirrors unfashionable.