In breathalyser tests conducted on November 28-29, the intervening night between last Friday and Saturday, police found that 195 motorists had BAC between 101 and 500.
(Express file photo)
The Cyberabad police in Hyderabad have flagged a major increase in blood alcohol content (BAC) among motorists, especially among young people in the IT corridor.
While cases of driving under the influence of alcohol are common in the commissionerates of Cyberabad and Hyderabad, the rising BAC levels being detected are alarming and can be lethal, officials said.
In breathalyser tests conducted on November 28-29, the intervening night between last Friday and Saturday, police found that 195 motorists had BAC between 101 and 500. This, officials said, represented a very dangerous trend, as driving with a BAC of over 30 is not recommended.
On the night, 11 motorists had BAC ranging between 301 and 500, 42 had BAC between 201 and 300, 49 fell in the 151-200 range, 93 were in the 101-150 range, 168 had a range between 51 and 100, and 68 had BAC of slightly less than 50.
Police also pointed out that 21-30 was the age group that had the highest number of DUI cases that night — 181 out of the total 431.
“Young people are consuming large quantities of alcohol and getting behind the wheel. They should not be on the roads, much less driving cars or SUVs or bikes. While they may be confident that they can drive safely while intoxicated, and many times they may actually make it home safe, there is a high probability of getting involved in an accident,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Traffic, Madhapur Zone) T Sai Manohar.
Officials from 16 traffic police stations conducted the breathalyser tests and booked 431 cases that night. Of these, 86 were driving four-wheelers, 325 were riding two-wheelers and 16 were autorickshaw drivers. Four of those detained for DUI were driving trucks. The Cyberabad police are now conducting breathalyser tests every weekend and making the data public. It has also randomly started testing school bus drivers in the morning after a few were found to be driving with a hangover.
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“While driving with over 30 BAC is not advisable, some of these drivers were dangerously drunk when we checked their BAC levels that night. They were not in a position to operate a vehicle, but they were driving big cars or SUVs and could crash and cause a lot of damage, including fatal mishaps. We used to find high BAC previously, but not this high. Driving with BAC between 201 and 500, and above, is not only extremely dangerous, but reckless,” a traffic police officer said.
Some of the motorists were found driving on highways while extremely inebriated, police said. “They were barely conscious, incoherent, and unable to comply with police instructions,” one officer said.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
