Hyderabad: Equating drunk drivers to terrorists and describing drunk driving as an “act of terror on the roads of Hyderabad”, police commissioner VC Sajjanar has vowed to adopt a stringent zero-tolerance policy against drunk driving cases going forward.In a scathing attack against offenders who choose to drive while being under the influence of alcohol, the commissioner called the Kurnool bus tragedy a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker. “This was not a road mishap but a criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families within seconds. His decision to drive while intoxicated turned a moment of arrogance into a tragedy of unimaginable scale,” Sajjanar wrote in a post on X, which has since gained widespread attention.The commissioner also said that no exceptions will be made and violators will face the strictest punishment. “Every single person caught driving under the influence will face the full force of the law. It is a crime that destroys lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated,” he added.Drunk driving and its dangerous repercussions have once again come under scrutiny following the Kurnool bus accident, in which it was found that the two-wheeler driver, identified as B Shiva Shankar, was drunk and lost control of his vehicle, resulting in the accident that claimed 20 lives. Sadly, Shankar’s case represents only a fraction of the drunk driving incidents Hyderabad has witnessed over the past three years.According to official records from the Hyderabad traffic police, there have been more than 1,00,000 recorded cases of drunk driving since 2023, with 40,000 cases reported so far in 2025. Alarmingly, in over 2,000 road accident cases within the Hyderabad traffic police commissionerate this year, the majority were linked to drunk driving.“The actual number of drunk driving incidents is likely much higher than what is reflected in the records because we do not conduct drunk driving checks every day,” said Rahul Hegde, deputy commissioner-1 of Hyderabad traffic police (DCP-1).When asked about potential measures to enforce stricter rules and impose harsher penalties on violators, the traffic police suggested several options. “Ultimately, the severity of the punishment is determined by the courts. However, licence forfeiture, jail time for repeat offenders, extended counselling sessions for violators, and registering drunk driving as a criminal offence are some measures that could be explored,” Hegde added.MSID:: 124829224 413 |
