Police to act tough on drunk drivers in Odisha

The Odisha Police has decided to intensify checks at toll gates and enforce stricter rules for drunk driving, as part of its efforts to reduce road accidents, a top officer said.

Starting Friday, the police will conduct breath analyser tests at all 14 toll gates in the state, DGP B K Sharma stated.

A circular to that effect has been sent to all superintendents of police, he said.

"Anyone found driving in an inebriated state or under the influence of drugs will be detained. Within two hours of detainment, he will be subjected to a medical test by a registered practitioner. On detection of alcohol beyond 30 mg per 100 ml blood, the accused will be arrested," the DGP said.

Earlier, those failing the breathalyzer test had to pay fines to get off the hook.

The police have decided to act tough on traffic rule violators, especially those found driving in an inebriated state, following a direction by a Supreme Court-appointed committee to reduce accident fatalities in Odisha by at least 10 per cent, Sharma said.

According to government records, the state has witnessed nearly 11 per cent rise in accident deaths during 2018 when to compared to the year before.