Christmas and cocktails: Challans galore in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Almost 300 challans for drunk driving were issued on Christmas Eve and Christmas this year.
According to data provided by Delhi Traffic Police, while 186 cases of drunk driving were reported on Christmas Eve, 111 cases were reported the following day.

A special drive to tackle the menace that began on December 24 will continue till December 31 midnight, owing to the holiday season.There will be special focus on revellers stepping out of pubs, bars and hotels where parties have been organised. Traffic cops said all efforts will be made to ensure that no crashes and fatalities take place.
S S Yadav, special commissioner of police, traffic, said, “In order to ensure safe and incident-free New Year celebrations, the traffic police is keen to keep a strict vigil on any kind of violations and to take strict action against those driving under the influence of alcohol. Drunk driving is a major cause of road crashes at night.”
Traffic police officials, he said, will maintain “visible presence on roads” to ensure commuter safety and initiate stringent law enforcement against violators to prevent any untoward incident.
Before the drive was initiated, 14,256 people had been booked for drunk driving till December 25 this year.
According to experts, cabs or hired taxis should be used for commuting, especially during the party season. They recommended that establishments like bars, pubs, restaurants, hotels and party hosts must also ensure their guests and customers don’t drink and drive, and keep cabs and drivers handy to ensure safety on the road.
Prince Singhal, a road safety expert and founder of Community Against Drunken Driving, said, “The current data of 297 challans on Christmas Eve and Christmas is just the tip of the iceberg. Focus should be on areas like Saket, Hauz Khas Village, Mehrauli, Khan Market, Vasant Kunj, Connaught Place and Mehrauli, which are party hubs. This time, drunk drivers should not be merely challaned; their vehicle should be impounded and their license suspended or cancelled, or they should be arrested in case of an accident to ensure they do not repeat the offence again.”
Singhal added that drunk driving is a “100% man-made problem” and can cause “a premeditated crime”. “It can be completely done away with, if each of us chooses not to drink and drive,” he added.