BENGALURU: With around 9,794 drunk-driving (DD) cases booked in the first quarter of this year which is much more compared to the last two years, the city traffic police have changed their approached to tackle the menace. They are now focusing on carrying out drunk-and-drive checks in areas that report more number of night-time accidents.
Senior police officers attached to the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), including the DCPs, analysed the number of accidents in each traffic police station in the city during night. Traffic police stations with more accidents at night were asked to check for drunk driving all through the week and the remaining traffic stations have been asked to stick to the previous four days of checking, from Thursday to Sunday.
Sahil Bagla, DCP (Traffic East), said that the number of drunk-driving cases are increasing as the traffic police are focusing to avoid accidents and to bring orderliness.
“Main reason is to reduce the number of accidents. We have made a list of traffic police stations where the number of accidents are high. In such traffic police stations, drunk-driving checks will be done on all days of the week.
In the East traffic division, in four stations, the number of accidents are high and DD checks are being done on all seven days of the week, while it is only from Thursday to Sunday in the remaining police stations,” the DCP added.
Gopal M Byakod, DCP (Traffic South) said that the increase in DD cases are due to more enforcement. “Earlier all traffic police stations were doing DD checks during the weekend. Based on the data of late night accidents, we are insisting on DD checks. Traffic police stations connecting the city’s outskirts are the ones where DD checks are made every day,” the DCP added.
The traffic police have pointed out 64 black spots in the city and DD checks will be conducted on all the days of the week at these spots. Some of the traffic police stations where DD checking are happening on all days are Kengeri, Kamakshipalya, Byatarayanapura, Madiwala, Hulimavu, Bellanduru, Electronic City, Thalaghattapura, Yelahanka, Chikkajala, Hennuru, Peenya, KR Puram, Airport, Whitefield, Mahadevapura.
“DD checking have been intensified in the outskirts of the city. Motorists driving on the highways are the ones who are being booked the most. These motorists will be under the assumption that once they cross major roads of the city, the traffic police will not be there. This is being done not to increase the number of drunk and driving cases, but to reduce the number of accidents,” said a traffic police officer.
In 2024, the number of DD cases booked in the first quarter was 3,039, in 2025 it was 7,100 and in 2026 the number of cases are 9,794.