52,080 Booked For Drunken Driving In City In 2024

Additional Commissioner of Police P Viswa Prasad, IPS, today said that from August 24 to November 21, a total of 13,933 motorists driving under the influence of alcohol were booked and 13,188 charge sheets were filed in various courts.

"This year, 52,080 drunk drivers have been caught and booked. Over the last three months, 824 drunk drivers were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from one to ten days, and 227 were sentenced to perform social service for two days. Additionally, 99 driving licenses were suspended for two to six months by the RTO based on the orders of the magistrates. The courts also imposed fines totalling Rs 2,87,20,600 on the violators. The drivers were also counselled at the Traffic Training Institutes in Goshamahal and Begumpet in the presence of their family members," he said.

The ACP appealed to motorists not to drive under the influence of alcohol, as it could lead to road accidents that endangered not only them but also other innocent road users. He urged individuals who consumed alcohol to use public transport, cabs, auto-rickshaws or bike taxis to get home safely.

Drunk driving is an offense under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA), punishable with a fine of up to Rs 10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months. The RTO will suspend the driving licenses of repeat offenders for three months or longer, or even permanently.