Hyderabad: The Hyderabad traffic police will henceforth indefinitely detain the vehicles of only those drivers who are caught driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of over 100.
The vehicles of drunk drivers with a BAC of less than 100 will be detained for a period of two days. The lower limit of 30 will remain unchanged.
Previously, the traffic police would indefinitely detain the vehicles of all drivers caught driving with a BAC of over 30. This led to the abandonment of vehicles by several people who feared court proceedings.
On Monday, about 1,000 vehicles were found lying unclaimed at police stations in the south zone, namely Malakpet, Kachiguda, Sultan Bazaar, Nallakunta, Nampally, Goshamahal, Asifnagar, Tolichowki, Charminar, Mir Chowk, Bahadrupura and Faluknama.
With the implementation of this new rule, offenders caught driving with a BAC between 30 and 100 can get their documents and vehicles back from the police within two days, but offenders caught driving with a BAC over 100 will have to go to court to get their vehicles back.
DCP, traffic, A.V. Ranganth said, “We have decided to make this change as thousands of vehicles are lying at the police stations. Even the court only fines offenders with a BAC between 30 and 100, so we have decided that from now on if a drunk driver is caught with a BAC less than 100, then his documents and vehicle will only be will be detained for a period of two days. Such offenders will get their vehicles back after counselling.”
Police said 65 persons have been jailed for drunk driving so far this month. A total of 610 chargesheets have been filed and the drunk drivers were produced in the 4th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Erramanzil. The licences of five persons were suspended for six months.
