Mohali, June 27 -- Nearly seven out of every 10 traffic challans issued in Mohali over the past year were for helmet-related violations, highlighting that failure to wear protective headgear remains the city's biggest road safety concern despite round-the-clock closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance. With AI-powered cameras issuing 6,47,398 challans and generating Rs.11.67 crore in penalties between March 6, 2025, and April 13, 2026, police are now expanding the surveillance network to five more strategic junctions to improve road safety and monitor routes frequently used by criminals. Data from traffic officials shows that over 2.8 lakh drivers and 1.7 lakh pillion riders were booked for riding without helmets, taking the total helmet-related challans to 4.5 lakh - nearly 70% of all violations recorded during the period (see box). The expansion of the CCTV network, expected to come by the end of monsoon will cover five busy and accident-prone intersections - PCA Stadium light point in Phase 9, Phase 3A petrol pump, Mohali City Centre in Aerocity, Chhatbir Road-Airport Road junction and Jagatpura near the Chandigarh border. Speeding was the second most common offence with 93,635 challans followed by 66,511 cases of red-light jumping, 16,251 cases of triple riding and 8,795 violations involving mandatory traffic signs, wrong-side driving and prohibited turns. Mohali's city surveillance and traffic management system currently operates through 504 high-resolution cameras at 24 locations, monitored round-the-clock from the integrated command and control centre at Sohana police station. Using AI-based red light violation detection and automatic number plate recognition, the system detects violations and identifies vehicles even in low-light conditions. Superintendent of police (traffic) Navneet Mahal said the purpose of surveillance was to encourage safer drivingrather than creating fear of penalties. "People should follow traffic rules for their own safety, not merely to avoid a challan. Every road user is under surveillance, and the expanding camera network will strengthen both road safety and our ability to monitor vehicle movement across connecting cities," he said. Traffic expert Harpreet Singh said cameras have transformed enforcement by acting as "24x7 traffic personnel". "Every violation is now under watch. The real success of enforcement will be measured when the number of challans begins to fall because people start obeying traffic rules voluntarily," he said. Police have also urged vehicle owners to install high-security registration plates (HSRP) and update their registered mobile numbers, saying many motorists remain unaware of pending e-challans because their vehicles lack HSRPs or their contact details in official records are outdated....