By: Express News NetworkPune | January 2, 2026 07:56 PM IST 3 min readThe number of people caught for drunk driving this New Year was slightly higher for both jurisdictions, which collectively registered total 430 cases last year. (Express file photo)The Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad traffic police booked a total of 448 people for driving under the influence of alcohol during the New Year celebrations that started from the evening of December 31 to January 1 morning.According to police, many two-wheeler and four-wheeler riders were booked after their blood alcohol level surpassed the permissible limit during the breathalyzer tests conducted at various checkpoints.The number of people caught for drunk driving this New Year was slightly higher for both jurisdictions, which collectively registered total 430 cases last year. Both Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police had set up checkpoints at various locations under respective traffic divisions, especially at key traffic junctions and near places of celebrations.Officials from the Pune city traffic police said they caught 208 people riding bikes or driving vehicles under the influence of alcohol at 40 checkpoints set up across the city. During these checks, a total of 2,128 drivers and riders were checked with breathalyzer and 208 were caught driving with more than the permissible alcohol limit in their blood. Pune city traffic DCP Himmat Jadhav said multiple intensive drives were conducted across the year in 2025, during which a 6,765 people were caught for driving under influence of alcohol. DCP Jadhav said intensive drives will continue this year too.Must Read | PMC polls: In boost for BJP, its candidates Manjusha Nagpure, Shrikant Jagtap win unopposed from Suncity-Manikbaug wardOfficials said some specific areas, which are known to attract large crowds during the New Year celebrations, were particularly monitored. The traffic branch of Pimpri Chinchwad traffic police said they had set up over 45 checkpoints across their jurisdiction. As many as 240 people were caught for drunk driving.Breathalyzer test and enforcementFor the drunk driving checks, police use the breathalyzer—also known as breath analyser tests—to detect the concentration of ethanol in a person’s breath. When a person exhales into the device, the alcohol molecules, if present, react, with a sensor giving out current that indicates alcohol content and thus giving a reading which corresponds to the blood alcohol concentration.As part of the procedure, persons caught with a higher than permissible blood alcohol level are booked and are prosecuted in a designated court for punitive action. Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act pertains to driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs. If a person has alcohol level exceeding 30 milligram per 100 ml of blood, that gets detected in a test, or is under this influence of a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of exercising proper control over the vehicle, then he/she is booked.Story continues below this adFor the first offence, the provision attracts punishment of imprisonment for a term upto six months or with a fine or both and their licence can also be cancelled. For the second or subsequent offence, if committed within three years of the commission of the previous similar offence, imprisonment may go up to two years or fine or both.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd