A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court to restrict scenes in movies, television programmes, OTT or advertisements where there is gross disrespect to traffic rules. The PIL, filed by an NGO ‘Tsunami on Roads’, said that films and TV have a direct effect on viewers, especially young adolescents, as they are very much inspired by the film stars. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan will hear the matter on February 23. The petition said that there is a tremendous rise in road accidental deaths, adding that instead of reduction, accidents are increasing with every passing year resulting in fatalities rising from 1.5 lakh in 2021 to 1.7 lakh in 2023. The plea seeks directions to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to restrict or discourage such scenes in films, TV programmes or OTT. It also seeks to discourage such advertisements which glamorise and promote unsafe practices.
