No drunk driving cases in Ahmedabad in six months

AHMEDABAD: Between March 24 and September 15, not a single case of drunk driving was filed by city traffic police. In contrast, at least 50 cases of driving under influence of liquor were filed during the same period in 2019.
If you think tipplers stayed away from the bottle due to the coronavirus pandemic, you are wrong; it was more a result of cops junking use of breathalyzers fearing spread of Covid infection.
The figure, however, is no reason to drop the guard as traffic police are set to resume the drive ahead of the Diwali and New Year festivities.
“We will be using disposable plastic straws to make breathalyzer test safe from spreading Covid infection,” said Tejas Patel, deputy commissioner of traffic (admin) in Ahmedabad city.
Typically, suspects are made to breathe into breathalyzers to check alcohol content. Fearing reuse of the equipment might expose them to deadly Covid infection, cops had dropped its use.
“We had no choice but to suspend the drunk driving drive as it would have led to infection risk not only among people but also in cops,” said Patel.
Patel said if any drunk was caught using breathalyzers, cops would have to take him for Covid-19 test.
“If the accused tested positive, the entire team would have to be quarantined. To avoid such lengthy procedures, it was deemed fit to suspend drunk driving drives,” Patel said.