At 1,751, count of drunken driving offenders doubles till March-end

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29 

The UT traffic police have challaned 1,751 persons for drunken driving till March 28 this year, of which only five are women. This is almost double the number of challans issued by the police during corresponding period in 2017. 

As per official figures, the current number is 837 more than the the number of challans issued during the corresponding period in 2017. 

The statistics also revealed that a majority of the offenders challaned for the offence were driving cars. 

Of 1,751 people challaned for drunken driving this year, 1477 were four-wheeler and auto-rickshaw drivers while the rest 274 offenders were two-wheeler riders. 

In the past a few months, a crackdown has been witnessed on drunken drivers in the city. As part of the drive, 79 offenders were challaned on Wednesday night.

Driving licences of all offenders were seized, which have been sent for suspension for three months. 

In 2017, 6,663 motorists were challaned for drunken driving, while the number was 5,033 in 2016.

The traffic police had adopted the new rule of suspending driving licences in November, 2016. Initially, the traffic police started suspending driving licences for overspeeding, red-light crossing and talking over the mobile phone while driving. Later, drunken driving was added to the list. Driving licences are suspended for three months even if motorists are caught for the first time.

In escape bid, man injures cop

• A UT police constable was injured at a drunken driving naka on the road dividing Sectors 35 and 22 after a man, identified as Gaurav Kathuria, rammed his car into a barricade in an escape bid on Wednesday night. The accused was arrested on Thursday.
• The police suspected that the man was in an inebriated condition. 
• The injured policeman, Sukhwinder, suffered fracture on his hand besides injuries to other parts of the body. 
• Sukhwinder, who was standing close to the barricade, had tried to stop the vehicle by blocking its way. The accused driver, however, hit the barricade following which he fell on the road and received injuries. The accused managed to flee after injuring the policeman. The injured constable was rushed to the GMSH-16 for treatment. 
• A case against the accused driver has been registered at the Sector 36 police station.