BENGALURU: Despite warnings of stern action and awareness campaigns by the city traffic police on drunk driving, Bengalureans seemed not to care as the highest ever number of cases of drunk driving for a single day was registered in the city on the New Year's Eve.
The number of drunk driving cases has tripled on the New Year's Eve this year as compared to last year.
The police booked 1,367 cases, as against 461 last year on the New Year's Eve.
The number of cases filed in 2015 and 2014 on New Year’s Eve was 283 and 307, respectively.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R. Hithendra said that all the vehicles were seized and the police have recommended to the RTO to cancel licenses of the violators. “New Year’s Eve celebrations are over. We have ensured that those caught driving or riding drunk spend the first day of the New Year in courtrooms,” he said.
Division-wise, the highest number of cases of drunk driving was reported in East division at 624. Last year, it was 41. Similarly, 605 cases were booked in the West division as against 420 last year.
As many as 138 cases have been booked in the North division.
No major road accidents occurred due to drunk driving on Sunday night as the city traffic police were out in full numbers and had set up nakabandis at many places, both on outer ring roads as well as inside the city, to prevent drunk and rash driving.
Both the traffic and law and order police were on roads till 3 pm, managing traffic as the revellers were heading back home.
Number of cases
2017-2018 - 1367
2016-2017 - 461
2015-2016 - 283
2014-2015 - 307
