MADURAI: Over 500 violations of the Motor Vehicles Act were booked on Deepavali and its eve across Tirunelveli. SP N Silambarasan said 61 vehicle users were cited for seat belt violations, 24 for speeding, 49 for rash driving, 83 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 200 bikers for riding without helmets and 104 for miscellaneous other violations.

The police also registered 23 cases of firecracker violations against those found bursting crackers beyond permitted hours. The SP lauded the efforts and noted that violations dipped by 42 per cent compared to last year. Around 1,600 police personnel were deployed across Tirunelveli for a peaceful Deepavali.