144 charged with drink driving on Christmas Eve

The Traffic Department prosecuted 144 drivers for drink driving on December 24. The police conducted the campaign across Mumbai.

The Traffic Department prosecuted 144 drivers for drink driving on December 24. The police conducted the campaign across Mumbai.

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Most of those arrested were 21 to 40 years old and returning from Christmas Eve parties.

A day earlier, 145 drivers were arrested. Of these, 78 appeared before various courts; 62 cases were adjourned. Since the campaign against drink driving was kicked off in June 2007, the traffic police have arrested 40,839 drivers; 20,194 of them have been sentenced so far.

The police have been conducting such campaigns on every festival since 2007. “We hope to stop accidents caused by drunk drivers,” said Sanjay Barwe, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

Last year, on Christmas night, the police arrested 207 drunk drivers. On January 1, 35 drivers spent the first night of 2009 behind bars. On December 31, 2008, the traffic police arrested 338 drivers for getting behind the wheel after consuming liquor, the highest recorded in a day.

On Republic Day this year, a ‘dry day’, the police arrested 54 for drink driving.On March 22, after the Holi celebration, 365 drunk drivers were caught.