New Year Celebration: On New Year's eve, Delhi saw more than a 50% hike in drunken driving. The Delhi Traffic Police on Thursday stated that authorities have issued 868 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, marking a 56 per cent increase over last year, when 558 motorists were booked for the offence.

Last year, the Delhi Traffic Police had issued 558 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, a figure that was then stated to be 34 per cent higher than the previous year. According to official data cited earlier, 416 motorists were prosecuted for drunken driving in 2023, 318 in 2022, 25 in 2021, 19 in 2020 and 299 in 2019.

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A senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said, "The rise of 56 per cent underscores intensified enforcement and wider deployment of traffic personnel across the national capital during celebrations."

Special Teams Deployed In These Areas

Special enforcement teams were stationed on arterial roads, near nightlife hubs and in residential clusters to curb drunken driving, speeding, motorcycle stunts and other dangerous violations. Officials tested drivers with a breathalyser at multiple checkpoints throughout the night, with teams rotating locations to prevent motorists from evading checks.

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The traffic police drive got support from extensive CCTV surveillance and real-time coordination among district control rooms to monitor crowd movement and respond swiftly to any incident. The Delhi Police mobilised a force of around 20,000 personnel to ensure a law and order situation during the New Year celebrations.

Special Attention To Some Crowd-Prone Areas

The traffic police paid special attention to crowd-prone areas such as Connaught Place, Hauz Khas and Aerocity, where the footfall traditionally surges on the night of December 31.

The authorities said the objective of police action was not only to penalise offenders but also to send a strong message against drunken driving, which continues to be a major cause of road accidents in the city.

(With PTI inputs)