Police drive against drunken drivers

Kochi: Kochi city police is conducting a special drive to catch drunken drivers on city streets with breathalyzer-checking even in the morning hours.

The drive in the morning is aimed at busting the ones who drive their vehicles after late night parties.

The ‘hung-over’ drivers are also likely to be caught by the breathalyzers as there would still be alcohol content in their blood from the previous day’s party, according to police and medical experts.

“It does not matter if a person consumed the alcohol on the same day, the previous day or a week back. If he has 30 ml or more alcohol level in his blood during the test he can be booked,” says Dr. Biju James, the forensic surgeon of Ernakulam general hospital.

“Also it is not about a person being in an inebriated state or being fit to drive. If a driver has 30 ml alcohol in his blood, he should be booked,” the doctor added.

According to medical experts, a person who had four large pegs of liquor at 10 pm will still have more than 30 ml alcohol in his blood if it is tested at 7 am the very next day.

Meanwhile city police chiefs confirmed that they would continue the drive against drunken driving in the coming days until the New Year.