Chandigarh sees 13% increase in drink-driving fines from 2023

Chandigarh has seen a significant spike in drink-driving cases this year, with a 13 per cent increase in the number of tickets issued.

In just eight months, 2,289 tickets were issued, largely due to increased enforcement of traffic laws and the deployment of specialist teams to monitor night-time traffic.

The crackdown comes in the wake of the tragic Porsche accident in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar in Maharashtra involving a 17-year-old minor who, while intoxicated, fatally hit two motorcyclists in May this year. The incident shed light on the dangers of drink-driving, prompting police across the country to take tougher measures.

To curb the menace of drunk driving, the Chandigarh Traffic Police has taken stringent action, including confiscating vehicles of those found driving under the influence of alcohol.

Interestingly, even solo drivers were towed away. Special teams, comprising five to six traffic personnel, were deployed at key locations across the city, with additional units patrolling on weekends, when such violations tend to peak. Many of the violations occur near clubs in Sector 26, officials said.

The intensified efforts yielded significant results last weekend. As many as 33 challans were issued on the intervening night of September 7-8 – the highest number in a single day this year – marking a heavy focus on weekends, when drunk driving incidents typically spike.

Drink driving is a serious offence under the Motor Vehicles Act. Section 184 specifically deals with “driving under the influence of alcohol” and imposes severe penalties. Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit of 30 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood is considered an offence.

Chandigarh traffic police use advanced breathalysers that use a camera to capture a person’s face during a breath test, ensuring that the person providing the breath sample is the person being tested.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh explained the increase in fines by stating, “We have intensified our enforcement measures, especially during nights and weekends, in response to the rising number of drunk driving-related accidents. The tragic incident in Pune was a wake-up call and we are deploying more teams to key locations to ensure tighter monitoring. Our aim is not just to punish but also to deter people from indulging in reckless behaviour that endangers lives.”

“Many of the violations are concentrated around Sector 26, where several popular clubs and bars are located,” added SSP Singh. “We have increased our presence in these areas, especially during late night hours, to curb drunk driving cases and ensure public safety.”