It’s only October and the UT police have already issued 3,300 drunk driving challans even as they are preparing to step up enforcement ahead of the festive season.
In 2025, the figure for the whole year had stood at 3,716 – the highest since 2022. To be sure, challaning had been suspended around March 2020 after Covid outbreak as breathalysers had been identified as a potential means of spreading the virus.
In 2022, when the drunken driving challans were resumed, 166 challans were issued in the entire year.
The bulk of this year’s challans were issued from May onwards, with over 2,500 violations detected in about four months. Sources said the number of drunk-driving checkpoints was considerably lower earlier in the year but was increased from May. Traffic police have also been conducting special weekend drives to check drunken driving. In one such drive on Saturday night, the police issued 86 challans and impounded all the vehicles involved. This was one of the highest numbers of such challans recorded this year, police said.
Road safety activist Harpreet Singh said, “Enforcement must be clubbed with awareness and education. The ultimate goal is to bring about a change in people’s behavior. In a positive development, people of Chandigarh have started using cabs or designated drivers when they go out drinking.”
Under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, a first-time offender caught driving under the influence of alcohol can face imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of ₹10,000, or both. The offender’s driving licence can also be disqualified for at least six months under Section 20 (2) of the Act. Repeat offences can lead to cancellation of the licence by a court. The vehicle is impounded, and the offender must approach the court to secure its release and pay the fine.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh said, “Celebrations should never come at the cost of public safety. We have ramped up checks and deployed dedicated teams across the city with a zero-tolerance policy towards drunk driving. Celebrate responsibly, protect your loved ones.”