In a crackdown on drunken driving, police and
transport authorities have arrested 378 persons across the State on
Friday.
Of the total 378 arrests, the highest of 63 was made in Cuttack in central
zone region, followed by Sambalpur 46 in northern zone and Ganjam in
southern zone in Odisha. The number was only nine in Bhubaneswar.
In a State-wide joint drive against drunken driving by the Transport
Department and police, total 466 people were found driving under
influence of alcohol.
As per the directives of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety,
the authorities suspended 179 driving licenses (DLs) and detained 377
vehicles of the offenders.
In case of drunken driving, the first-time offenders would face
imprisonment up to six months or fine up to Rs 10,000 under the new
Motor Vehicles Act. The second offence, if committed within two years,
can lead up to two years prison term or fine of Rs 15,000.
Despite a set of strict laws and regulations, drunk driving continues to be
one of the major reasons behind road accidents in the country. As many
as 246 road accidents took place in 2021 in the State due to drunken
driving.
A total of 83 people lost their lives in these mishaps and 251 were
injured, the State Transport Authority stated in a release.