Moveable guardrails and “Go Slow” boards used by police at night to curb overspeeding must be fitted with retro-reflective tape to improve visibility in foggy conditions, Kolkata Police have instructed all traffic guards across the city.
Retro-reflective tape is a specialised adhesive material embedded with tiny glass beads or prisms that reflect light directly back to its source, including vehicle headlights.
Police officers said the tapes significantly improve the visibility of guardrails and barriers placed on roads and at intersections, particularly at night and during early-morning hours when fog reduces visibility.
“These tapes, fitted on guardrails and ‘Go Slow’ boards, help alert drivers to hazards and lane edges. This is crucial to prevent accidents during the wee hours, when fog has been settling and visibility drops sharply for motorists,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said.
“Over time, the tapes have disappeared from many guardrails and prismatic boards, and officers-in-charge of traffic guards have now been asked to ensure they are refitted,” the officer said.
The instructions were issued within days of Kolkata traffic police releasing a six-point advisory on social media, urging motorists to “drive safely and arrive safely” during foggy conditions.
Traffic police officers said the reminder was necessary because dense fog during early morning hours has emerged as a major contributor to road accidents and fatalities during the winter months.
“Drivers returning home in the early hours often tend to overspeed. On stretches such as Red Road, EM Bypass, the Prince Anwar Shah Road connector and Diamond Harbour Road, heavy fog frequently makes it difficult to spot traffic signals from a distance,” an officer said.
“There have been instances of vehicles crashing into guardrails because of poor visibility. This year, we want to ensure there is no repeat of such incidents.”