No data on Drink-drive accidents in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: While the city police maintains accident records and even drunk driving cases, there are no statistics regarding the number of accidents that have been caused by alcohol.

Police say the records made public show the basic details of any accident including the spot, vehicle and person, but the cause of the accident will come out only during an investigation in the case.

“So far there are no efforts to track the accidents involving drunk drivers. But there is an internal process which records such incidents police station-wise. We are planning to make them public so that people become more aware of the risks,” a senior police officer from Hyderabad said, adding that with the increased use of technology, this feature can be worked on in the near future.

Currently, data is updated immediately after an accident with details available.
“Any accident cannot be classified at the time of occurrence. Each accident differs from case to case and the facts come out only during investigation. So the cause also varies,” he added.

Though keeping track of such incidents is not difficult, in case of victims who are under the effect of alcohol being killed in accidents or sustaining severe injuries, it is difficult for them to claim insurance.

“The accused can be booked as being under the effect of alcohol and can be tracked. But it becomes difficult for the victims,” another senior cop from Cyberabad said.