46 drunk drivers caught every day

Here's another reason to avoid that last drink before you get your motor running. The Traffic Police prosecuted at least 46 Delhiites for drunk driving every day since the beginning of 2011. More than 500 of these errant drivers were imprisoned. Jatin Anand reports.

Here's another reason to avoid that last drink before you get your motor running. The Traffic Police prosecuted at least 46 Delhiites for drunk driving every day since the beginning of 2011. More than 500 of these errant drivers were imprisoned.

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"As per our campaign against drunk driving, we have prosecuted more than 2,700 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol from January till the end of February this year. While driver's licenses were cancelled in 493 cases, 577 of these errant drivers were imprisoned for varying periods of time to teach them a lesson," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Taking a cue from the Mumbai Police that began a similar drive in 2006, 540 of those fined for drunk driving were placed under court custody for a day, 25 were detained for one to nine days and 12 imprisoned for more than 10 days.

"While errant drivers from the first category had to wait in the court premises from the time that they were produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate till the court closed for the day till evening, those from the two other categories were jailed at local police stations in lieu of their crime," said a senior traffic police officer.

"Those whose driver's licenses have been suspended will have to wait for six months before they can even approach the issuing authority for a new one. That should give them enough time to learn their lessons," Garg added.