Drivers try to evade drunk-driving test over Corona virus concerns

Hyderabad: Drivers have found a new excuse to escape drunk-driving checks: Corona virus. Traffic officials said drunk drivers are refusing to go through the breathalyser test citing concerns about Corona virus infection.

Traffic personnel conducting checks at Madhapur on Saturday night were in for a shock when some drivers refused to take the test. On Saturday night, traffic officials from Madhapur traffic police station of Cyberabad commissionerate in the city were conducting drunk-driving checks. After checking a few vehicles, a group of youngsters, all on motorbikes, approached the checkpoint. When the traffic personnel asked them to take the test, they refused.

The youngsters said the cops have been using the same device and detachables to conduct check for all motorists passing through the stretch. As a result, if any one of them had an infection, it could spread to other motorists. When the traffic personnel asked them to take the breathalyser test, they refused and started troubling the cops. The officials, however, convinced the drivers to take the test. A couple of them tested positive for blood alcohol, while others tested negative and were let off.

The traffic officials said drunk drivers have been creating excuses to evade checks ever since the breathalyser test was introduced. However, they have been conducting routine checks to ensure that no drunk person is behind the wheels, thereby saving the lives of both the drunk drivers and other motorists on the road.