Ludhiana: Police to set up special ‘sobriety checkposts’, buy 800 alcometers

Additional director general of police (ADGP traffic)  Amardeep Singh Rai said that the Punjab Police will establish special “sobriety checkpoints” on national and state highways to curb drunken driving, a leading cause of road accidents.

Following a meeting with traffic superintendents and deputy superintendents of police (SPs and DSPs), and other officials, ADGP Rai said that the police have ordered 800 new alcometers which will be distributed across districts. He emphasised that drunken driving is a major factor in road accidents and the police will take strict action against individuals found driving under the influence of alcohol.

ADGP Rai added that on the directions of director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, 27 hi-tech interceptor vehicles are being procured by the police to tackle speeding and reckless driving. On the issue of accidents caused by stray cattle, he said around 350 deaths are reported annually due to this. Various departments are working to resolve this issue, including the municipal corporations and animal husbandry department, among others, he said. The ADGP added that 900 e-challan machines have been provided to police officers across the state.

These measures are expected to reduce the number of road accidents across the state, he said.

ADGP Rai highlighted the positive impact of deploying the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), which has resulted in a 15 to 20% decline in road accident fatalities. On underage driving, the traffic wing of the district police will collaborate with school management to educate students on legal provisions related to underage driving in the first phase. Strict action will be taken against underage drivers and their parents to address this issue in the next phase, the official added.w