Drunk driving: Vehicle to be given to sober relative or friend

Hyderabad: Following the Telangana High Court directive not to seize vehicles of persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol, the Traffic Police will from now on hand the vehicle over to an acquaintance or relative of the driver, who is not in an inebriated condition. The Traffic Police hitherto used to seize the vehicle […]

Hyderabad: Following the Telangana High Court directive not to seize vehicles of persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol, the Traffic Police will from now on hand the vehicle over to an acquaintance or relative of the driver, who is not in an inebriated condition.

The Traffic Police hitherto used to seize the vehicle if the driver was found driving in an inebriated condition and shift it to the police station. The vehicle would be released later only after the violator appeared before the court. However, with the High Court, while dealing with a batch of writ petitions, declaring that the police have no power to seize vehicles when the drivers are caught driving under influence of alcohol, things are changing.

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The court had said that if the driver was drunk, the police should allow an accompanying person with a valid driving license to drive the car or inform a near relative or friend and permit such a person to drive the vehicle. Following the court directions, in the city, police officials said they were putting a system in place.

“We will be detaining the vehicle till some other person comes to the spot and takes it, or till the next day when the violator can come and take it. Any other person accompanying the driver who has a valid driving license will also be allowed take it after producing a valid driving license or registration certificate of the vehicle,” a senior police official said.

Traffic police officials said they were awaiting instructions from higher ups on how to deal with vehicles that were already seized.

“In all probability, we will also be releasing the vehicles after verification of the registration certificate. Orders to this effect are awaited from higher officers because the subject concerns the entire State,” another police official said.

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