The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Medak police to crack down on tipsy drivers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Medak police to crack down on tipsy drivers

Staff Reporter

Breath analysers will be used to check drunken driving

SANGAREDDY: Alarmed by the increasing number of road accidents, the Medak police have decided to clamp down on drunken driving on the three major roads passing through the district. While police believe that road widening and construction of dividers would reduce the number of accidents considerably, random and regular check of drunkenness in drivers, with the help of breath analysers, would be the permanent solution to prevent accidents.

Alarming statistics

The number of deaths in accidents on the NH9, NH7 and Rajeev Rahadari had been increasing steeply since 1996, with 2001 being an exception with the toll at 397. Out of 403 accidents that occurred during 2003, 529 died and 89 were injured; during the year 2004, 550 died and 99 were injured in 449 accidents.

This year, so far, 279 persons died and 51 were injured in 226 accidents. The number of non-fatal injuries during the first six months of this year stood at 1,088.

Dragon searchlight

Speaking to The Hindu , the Medak SP, B.L. Sujatha Rao, said all the three Rakshak vehicles would hereafter have a breath analyser each and a Dragon searchlight in working condition.

These breath analysers would be stationed near roadside dhabas and bars, from where the drunken drivers begin their journey of no return. It has been decided to send 12 home guards from Medak district for training at any prestigious first-aid training centre. Two such guards would in turn man each one of the patrol vehicles. He said action would be initiated on dhaba owners who serve liquor and run their business even after 10.30 p.m.

Accident spots

Policemen on highway patrol duty were told to keep an eye on 26 accident-prone spots on the highways.

They are: Vallur-Chegunta, Toopran village entrance, Dandapally crossroads, Kalakkal village, Japthisivnur on NH 7. Ramachandrapuram, Patancheru-Nakkavaagu, Lakdaram gate, Rudraram-Raasi Ceramics, Kandi village, Budera crossroads, Kamkole T junction, Kohir T gate, entrance point of Zaheerabad, Digwal limits, Ranjole bus stop, Madiri crossroads, Bardipur crossroads, Satwar village bus stop and Chiragpally bus stop on the NH 9. Duddeda T junction, Kodakandla T junction, Kuknoorpally, Mulugu turning, Timmareddypally and Ponnal-Ragashapally crossroad on the Rajeev Rahadari were also identified as highly accident-prone.

The good old slip system has been reintroduced on the highways to check the speed of vehicles at Sangareddy, Sadasivapet and Patancheru.

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