Hardly a few cases of drunk driving were reported during New Year’s celebrations in Bengaluru. This year’s number is only one-sixth of what it was during the pre-Covid years.
Record fall in drunk driving cases
Traffic police officials in India’s metro cities embraced several measures to restrain drunk driving on New Year’s eve. Heavy police deployment and surprise checking were ensured across cities to seize those driving vehicles after consuming alcohol. Several cases were registered, but Bengaluru recorded the lowest number of drunk-driving cases on New Year.
According to police, only 77 people were booked in Bengaluru despite setting up multiple checkpoints in different locations. This was far lesser than the cases registered in Mumbai and Delhi.
“Of all the persons checked in the New Year’s night for Drink and Drive, only 77 were booked for DD violation. Thank you Bengalurians for driving responsibly! Wish you all a very happy, safe, and prosperous New Year,” Joint commissioner of police (Traffic) MN Anucheth tweeted.
Unlike in 2019 and 2020 — the last time the city celebrated the New Year on a full scale — traffic cops controlled vehicular movement rather than conducting drunk driving checks in MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, Residency Road, Koramangala and Indiranagar, the city’s party hubs. There were hardly any drunk driving checks on or near MG Road.
The change in plan
The change in plan, connected with increased citizen awareness and availability of public transport, drastically reduced drunk driving numbers. There were also fewer accidents.
M A Saleem, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said most partygoers used metro trains, BMTC buses, or autos. Metro trains and BMTC buses were available until 2 am.
Drunk driving checks that the police launched around Christmas also helped. “Revellers got the message,” he told DH. The heavy police presence was also a deterrent.
Other Metro cities during NY eve
Meanwhile, in Delhi, the traffic Police made over 300 challans for drunk driving on New Year’s Eve, an increase of over 12 times compared to the previous year. In total, 1,329 challans were issued for committing various traffic violations in the national capital, including 318 for drunk driving, 175 for dangerous driving, 55 for driving on the wrong side, 47 for triple riding, 70 for minor driving, and 664 for driving without a helmet. At the same time, 53 vehicles were impounded on the spot.
Mumbai police booked as many as 156 people for drunk driving. Also, actions were taken against 66 people for rash driving, 2,465 people for riding motorbikes without wearing helmets, and against 274 people for triple riding on two-wheelers, and 679 drivers for jumping traffic signals in the city on December 31, reported Times Now.
