While the number of challans issued under various categories amounts to over 1.5 lakh, that for drunk driving constitute less than 0.01 per cent of the total. This year, the traffic police collected Rs 3.78 crore as fine.

The number of challans issued for smoking while driving was 402 – 15 times the challans for driving under the influence of alcohol.

At the annual press conference today, Inspector General of Police S K Jain said the campaign to curb drunken driving will be intensified. “It’s a serious offence and we will take prompt action,” he said. The IG stated the shortage of traffic personnel as a reason for the low number of challans. “While drunk drivers are surely a menace, driving under the influence of drugs needs to be checked as well,” said Harman Sidhu, chairman of Arrive Safe, an NGO working to promote road safety.