Drink driving by youth on the rise

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Traffic Police is stepping up its drive against the drunken drivers to ensure road safety. Alcohol impairment continues to be a major cause of accidents and deaths on the roads. Hyderabad Traffic Police Department has taken legal course to curb the drink driving cases. According to the 2017 data, 8,572 people died in crashes involving drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.07 per cent. Of those, 5,753 involved impaired drivers.

Hyderabad Traffic Police till November made 2,690 drink-drive arrests. Charge sheets were filed against them and were produced in the 3rd and 4th Metropolitan Magistrate Courts, Nampally. The Magistrate Court awarded imprisonment to 612 respondents and permanently cancelled and suspended driving licenses of 124.

Moreover, the court has also imposed a fine amount of Rs 58, 29, 900 on the remaining 2,078 traffic violators. All the candidates sentenced for imprisonment were sent to Chanchalguda jail. In addition, 11 violators for cell phone driving and 2 for driving without helmets were also jailed. Inspector of Traffic Police, T Narasing Rao said that there was an increase in younger people taking alcohol on night outs. He added that the consequences of drunken driving could be "catastrophic". There were several reasons fuelling the rise. Although police find drunken drivers among all age groups, Roa said, "it is seen more in younger generation.” Officers said they would be concentrating equally on people who drive after taking alcohol. However, the test is far easier and so we are catching more people. We will continue the drive against drunken driving and other trtaffic violations for the safety of the commuters on road."

Several efforts are being taken up by the traffic police against drunken driving like putting up hoardings like ‘Do not mix drinking with driving.’ Further, at each signal a poster or banner is displayed saying ‘Do not violate traffic rules.’