Special plans made to curb drunken driving on December 31

Imprisonment is the only solution for most lawbreakers, especially for those who commit the same mistake every year. “We have a database of drunken driving cases. Whenever a repeated offender is caught, we ask for enhanced punishments. In most cases, the court awards imprisonments.” About 15,000 cases were booked last year. This year, efforts will be made to nab more offenders who violate the rules by driving under the influence of alcohol, drive rashly etc. and strict action will be taken against them.

All flyovers under Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates will be closed while the roads around Hussainsagar Lake and Necklace Road, which lie in the heart of Hyderabad, will also be out of bounds for traffic on the New Year’s Eve. The PVN Expressway, which connects the city to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, will also be closed for vehicles. Though the roads will be closed for motorists, pedestrians will be allowed.

Since 2011, the city police have booked 56,386 persons in drunken driving cases out of which 6,502 were sent to jail. Of the 15,013 offenders who were caught drunk driving this year, 2,672 were imprisoned, the highest since 2011. In recent days, awareness among commuters has increased thanks to regular checks by the police. “Awareness among the educated class has improved significantly. Now, most offenders are small-time businessmen or blue-collar employees,” Mr Jitender added.