BHUBANESWAR: The Transport department and police have planned to intensify the drive against drunken driving during winter. It has to come to the notice of authorities that such violation rises during the season when people go out for picnics. The violations are mostly reported on Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends when people consume liquor and risk their own and others’ lives by driving in an inebriated state.
“Stringent enforcement will be carried out by launching special drives with the police against drunken driving on specific time, dates and places. Between January and October this year, 7,553 violations related to drunken driving have been detected,” said a senior officer of Transport department. During the period, Cuttack RTO detected the highest drunken driving violations - 472, followed by Sambalpur 431, Keonjhar 393, Kalahandi 380, Phulbani 376, Boudh 365, Balasore 362, Dhenkanal 316 Mayurbhanj 310 and Jharsuguda 286.
“Most of the police stations have been given breath analysers. Our aim is to ensure every police station in the state has a minimum of one or two breath analysers. The Commissionerate Police will be handed over 15 new devices soon,” said another senior official.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act-2019 mandates immediate arrest of drunken drivers with Rs 10,000 penalty if found guilty by the court. The MV Act does not allow the enforcing officers to impose fine on drunken drivers. “In cities like Visakhapatnam, drunken driving is rare as the police there act strictly and arrest the violators. But, in Odisha, police are reportedly lenient towards such violators,” said sources.
As arrests made by police for drunken driving is not significant, it does not act as a deterrent and commuters continue to drive under the influence of alcohol. In the coming days, the authorities have planned to carry out special drives against drunken driving on state/national highways as many people return home after consuming alcohol on the outskirts of cites/towns.