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824 motorists fined in Holi crackdown in Delhi

Mar 27, 2024 06:04 AM IST

Prosecution for drunken driving was 47% higher while accidents and injuries were on the lower side this year compared to last year’s numbers

New Delhi: Seven people died and four others were injured in 11 road accidents during Holi celebrations in the national capital on Monday, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Tuesday, adding that at least 824 motorists were caught and fined for drunken driving on Delhi roads.

Delhi Traffic Police officials checking for drunk drivers during Holi celebrations in New Delhi on Monday. (HT PHOTO)
Delhi Traffic Police officials checking for drunk drivers during Holi celebrations in New Delhi on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

Prosecution for drunken driving was 47% higher while accidents and injuries were on the lower side this year compared to last year’s numbers. During Holi celebrations last year, 10 people were killed in fatal road accidents while 16 people were injured in 14 accidents. The number of people prosecuted for drunken driving was 559 last year during Holi, traffic police data shows.

Senior traffic police officials attributed the decline in road accidents to their special traffic management and enforcement arrangements at strategic locations for which more than 1,500 traffic personnel, including those on high-speed motorcycles to chase traffic violators, were deployed.

They said that the strict vigil and action on traffic violators, especially on motorists driving after consuming alcohol, had led to the sharp hike in drunken driving prosecutions. The total number of drunken driving challans during Holi was 559 last year and 242 in 2022. As far as deaths and injuries caused in road accidents on Holi are concerned, 10 people were killed and 25 others were injured in nine fatal and 17 simple accidents in 2022, the traffic police data shows.

“We took proactive measures to ensure the safety of citizens by intensifying enforcement against traffic violations, particularly targeting drunken driving and failure to wear helmets – two prevalent factors contributing to road accidents. This concerted effort resulted in a significant decrease in road accidents and casualties during the Holi festival. Throughout Monday, additional personnel across key junctions and thoroughfares, equipped with breath analysers, conducted rigorous checks on motorists,” said special commissioner of police (traffic) HGS Dhaliwal.

According to traffic police data, 1,524 challans were issued to violators for riding two-wheelers without wearing helmets. The number for this violation was 3,410 during Holi last year. A total of 1,241 people were also prosecuted for other offences like tinted glass, triple riding, driving without seat belts, among other violations, the traffic police said in their statement, but did not share the number of challans for the same violations during last year’s Holi.

According to the directions of the Apex Court Committee on Road Safety, in cases of drunken driving, red-light jumping, using a mobile phone while driving or riding, dangerous driving and over-speeding, the driving licence of the violators will be seized and they will be liable for suspension for a minimum period of three months, the traffic police said.

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