SHILLONG, MARCH 06: To deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol in view of the growing incidents of road accidents, the East Khasi Hills police have decided to implement with immediate effect on-the-spot hand-held breath analyzers that will detect the level of alcohol consumed by people behind the wheels.
“The devise, which is used worldwide, can detect drivers with high blood alcohol content or concentration and is a tool to convict such offenders,” East Khasi hills district superintendent of police M Kharkhrang told reporters here on Wednesday.
The police super said the introduction of the devise was felt necessary as there has been an increased in the number of road accidents caused drunken driving in the district, the latest being the Mawblei accident which claimed three lives.
The breath analyzer will be put up in two traffic branches of the capital city – Madanrting and Sadar – on a trial basis.While the Madanrting traffic branch will check heavy vehicles, the Sadar traffic branch will target light vehicles, he said, adding that more equipment will be purchased in the future.
S. Rynjah, the additional SP (traffic), said any person under the influence of alcohol, driving or attempting to drive a vehicle, who is found to have an alcohol level exceeding 30 mg per 100 ml of blood detected by a breath analyzer will be booked under the MV Act. The first offence would be imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 6 months or fine up to Rs 2000 or both, and if the offence is repeated within three years of the previous offence, it will be imprisonment which may extend up to two years or fine up to Rs 3000 or both.
Rynjah said it was a simple device where a person under suspect will be asked to blow moderately and continuously into the mouthpiece for more than 3 seconds. “Analyzing takes a few seconds, depending on the amount of alcohol in the breath sample,” he said, adding that the device can also record the registration number of the vehicle, name of the driver and name of the officer conducting the test. (By Our Reporter)
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