NEW DELHI: As many as 318 people were prosecuted for driving their vehicle in an intoxicated state in the national capital on New Year’s eve, the Delhi Police said on Sunday. In 2021, the figure stood at 25, and 19 in 2020, which means there was an increase of over 12 times compared to the previous year. In the last two years, there were certain restrictions owing to the outbreak of coronavirus at that time.
According to the police, a total of 1,329 motorists were prosecuted for committing various violations which, included 318 motorists for drunken driving, 175 for dangerous driving, 55 for the wrong Side, 47 for triple riding, 70 for minor driving, 664 for without a helmet, while 53 vehicles were impounded on the spot.
The police said that on December 31, the traffic police had deployed 114 teams, armed with breath analyzers to check drunken driving. Special pickets were also set up to check stunts on motorcycles, over speed, reckless, zig-zag, and dangerous driving in coordination with local police and PCR at major points i. e. Connaught Place, Mehrauli, Saket, Nehru Place, Vasant Vihar, South-Extn., Rajouri Garden, Pitampura, Netaji Subhash Place, Laxmi Nagar, and Mayur Vihar etc. It further said that no deaths were reported on December 31, 2022. Last year road accidents claimed one life on New Year’s Eve, three in 2020, and two in 2019.
“This was made possible due to the elaborate traffic arrangements laid out in the city to check the incidence of rash driving during New Year’s Eve,” it added. However, the city reported one of the most horrific road accidents in the wee hours of January 1 where a woman was allegedly hit by a car.