Gulping down glasses of local rice beer (Hadia) and other alcoholic drinks during New Year is nothing new for Ranchiites. However, drink and drive cases still haunt the denizens during the end of year. However, there has been a sharp decline in drink and drive deaths in the State in comparison to a figure of 438 in 2012 to 241 in 2013, which may have been a result of scanty reporting mainly due to lacking required equipment — the breath analysers and shortage of traffic policemen, say police.
“We are still following the old, traditional way of smelling mouths of the drivers to check on such offences. We will step up the vigil during Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and on January 1 in order to book such offenders under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 under which we suspend licenses and also detain them for a few hours till they can call up someone who can drive them home safely. We urge mainly the youngsters to refrain from driving if they plan to go grab a few drinks with their friends but not risk their lives like this,” said Jaya Roy, City Superintendent of Police, Ranchi.
A Deputy Superintendent of City Traffic Police claimed about the availability of about six breath analysers with them procured recently that can be put to use this year. “We do have about four to six breath analysers and no longer will the traffic policemen have to face the ordeal of smelling people’s drunken mouth. We check every vehicle during December 24 to and January 1 for such cases and on any suspicion of the driver being in an inebriated condition, we send them to the nearest police station immediately for the test. Then, accordingly the drivers are fined or the licenses are suspended as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,” said Dilip Khalkho DSP Traffic.
The city is gearing up for the party season and with all the popular lounges and pubs offering attractive discounts and offers for the youth in the city. The school and college-goers seem to be quite busy in shopping and making plans to party hard.
“I and my gang of friends are going for a late night Christmas Party at one of the best lounges in the city in Main Road. We have decided what to wear and I am very excited because of the attractive offers such as unlimited drinks for just Rs999 and plan to only gulp down foreign liquor this year,” said Sanjana Jaiswal, second year college student from Circular Road.