With an increase in the number of road accidents in the city caused due to driving under the influence of alcohol, the Cyberabad Traffic Police have resumed drunk driving checks while following COVID-19 safety precautions. On Saturday, July 3, the first day of checks, 126 people were booked across various locations coming under the Cyberabad Commissionerate. Out of this, drivers of 105 two-wheeler, three three-wheeler and 14 four-wheeler vehicles were booked.
Overall, the Cyberabad police have booked 20,326 cases of drunken driving between January 1 and July 3, 2021. Meanwhile, it is to be noted that in 2020, with the implementation of lockdown measures for most of the year, there was a drastic drop in the number of cases of drunken driving. As per the annual report from the Cyberabad police, there were 8,399 drunk driving cases booked from January to December 2020, whereas in 2019 the number of drunk driving cases for the same period was 21,000.
Since the second wave of the pandemic hit, there have been no drunk driving checks in place, and the number of accidents has increased. In order to curb the same, the checkpoints are now back in place. Cyberabad police in an official statement said, “It is noticed that many people are resorting to driving under the influence of alcohol without caring for the safety of themselves, as well as the safety of other innocent road users. The worrying part is that most of the drunk drivers are highly educated professionals in various fields who should be ideally following traffic rules in the city consciously.”
Several drunk driving-related accidents have occurred and been listed by the police, including the recent Audi car accident at Hitech City, where the driver of the car, who was drunk, hit an auto at a high speed resulting in the death of the auto passenger.
On the same day, in Premavathipet area under Rajendranagar Police station limits, late in the night a drunk youth drove an Innova car at high speed and hit a platform in front of a private residence, and severely injured the legs of a woman who was sitting there.
According to the police, there have been several other accidents that have occurred, where the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The police added that the persons who cause fatal accidents under drunken conditions are being booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as per section 304 part II of the Indian Penal Code, which would result in imprisonment of up to 10 years. Also, the persons who knowingly allow or accompany the drunk drivers are also being prosecuted for abetting the crimes as per section 109 IPC and section 188 MV act.
Meanwhile, all the driving licenses of those driving under the influence of alcohol are being canceled by the police, and their licenses are sent to the Road Transport Authority (RTA) as per section 206 r/w of the Motor Vehicle Act and these persons are not eligible to drive on the roads.
As of now, those found driving while in an inebriated state are not being prosecuted in the courts due to the pandemic, but the police said that all the offenders would go through due judiciary process once the court starts functioning.
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