BENGALURU: If you have to party on your mind this December, make sure you don’t let the thought of drinking and getting behind the wheel get in your head. With the city preparing for year-end festivities, the Traffic Police is also gearing up to send a strong message to those who believe in venturing out on drives when under the influence.
Traditionally, Bengaluru always witnesses a spike in the detection of drunk driving in the month of December. Last year, around 2,000 additional cases were booked in December compared to the previous month. This time around, the expectations are no different. “With a lot of people getting leave from December 25 onwards right till New Year, we see a rise in the number of parties being hosted. While most of the people who visit these parties have the common sense to not drive if they are drinking, but the sheer volume of people who still choose to get behind the wheel has us busy for mostly the entire month,” said a police officer from Frazer town.
According to Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security) P Harishekaran, already, around 350-400 violators were being caught every weekend during checking drives even before December arrived. “Checking is a continuous process and it will continue in December as well. I have issued directions to all police stations to be firm and bookcases for all drivers who have consumed alcohol beyond permissible limits,” he told City Express.
The circular, which was accessed by CE, asks officers to be polite, yet firm with violators. It also instructs police officers to not entertain drunk motorists who drop names or ask the officers to talk to some senior official on their phone. “There is no need to talk from the person’s phone,” the circular says.
Harishekaran has also asked for strict videography of the entire checking activity and asked his officers to not argue back in case of an abusive rule breaker. “However, in case the person tries to physically assault the police, he should be restrained and police must be called to the spot to take custody of the person,” he says in the directive.