Delhi Police Issued Over 300 Challans For Drunk Driving On New Year's Eve: Report

Over 300 challans for drunk driving were issued by Delhi Police on New Year's Eve in the nation's capital, a more than 12-fold increase from the previous year.

On New Year's Eve, Delhi Police issued over 300 challans for drunk driving in the national capital, an increase of more than 12 times over the previous year, news agency PTI reported on Sunday citing police officials.

According to official police data, a total of 1,329 challans were issued for various traffic violations.

318 persons were penalised for drunk driving, 175 for drunk driving, 55 for driving on the wrong side, 47 for triple riding, 70 for minor driving, and 664 for driving without a helmet, according to the report, with 53 vehicles seized on the spot.

On Saturday, traffic police said they sent 114 teams armed with breath analysers to check for drunk driving, the report said. 

Special pickets were also put up in conjunction with local police and the PCR at significant spots like Connaught Place, Mehrauli, Saket, Nehru Place, Vasant Vihar, South-Extension, Rajouri Garden, Pitampura, Netaji Subhash Place, Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar, and other areas, according to the report. 

Teams were deployed at various sites throughout the last three days of 2022 to monitor traffic offences, according to police, the report said.

Since December 29, a special drive has been conducted in Delhi, and a total of 3,830 persons have been handed challans for different traffic violations.

According to official data, 661 people were punished for drunk driving, 514 for dangerous driving, 186 for driving on the wrong side, 134 for triple riding, 192 for underage driving, and 2,004 for driving without a helmet, with 143 vehicles seized on the spot.

Meanwhile, only four calls were received at the '112' helpline number, they claimed.

According to official data, 25 persons were penalised for drunk driving in 2021, 19 in 2020, and 299 in 2019.

While there were two fatalities on New Year's Eve in 2019, three were reported in 2020 and one in 2021.

On December 31, 2022, no traffic fatalities were reported, the report said. 

This was made possible by the extensive traffic measures put in place in the city to reduce the occurrence of rash and careless driving on New Year's Eve, the report added.

(With Inputs From PTI)