“Don’t drink and drive so we all stay alive” is just one of the series of witty reminders from the Bengaluru Traffic Police’s stable of awareness campaigns against drunk driving. But there is no humour when it comes to dealing with those who do not heed to their advice.
The number of drink-and-drive cases booked by the city traffic police has seen a steady rise each month this year, taking the total so far to over 20,000. In April alone, 6,764 people were caught driving or riding under the influence of alcohol.
Does this mean that more motorists are caring less about traffic rules? The police say there are a number of factors.
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“There is a steady rise in the number of vehicles being added to Bengaluru’s roads. In addition, we have changed our approach and added an element of surprise in the way checks are conducted,” said a senior traffic police officer.
“Instead of conducting checks only during weekends, we are conducting random checks throughout the week. Also, the checks are not limited to main roads any more,” the officer said.
Officials also said that in a sizeable number of cases, the people are not from the city. “Some people come to Bengaluru only for a drink and leave the city by morning,” said an officer.
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