Mumbai: Despite stringent measures by the Maharashtra government and Mumbai Traffic Police, the number of drunk driving cases in the city has skyrocketed. Data released by the Mumbai Traffic Police reveals a staggering 370% increase in drunk driving incidents in 2024, raising serious concerns.
Major Drunk Driving Accidents in 2024:
July 7, 2024 – Worli Incident: Mihir Shah (son of Shinde faction leader Rajesh Shah), while driving a BMW under the influence of alcohol, ran over Kaveri Nakhwa, leading to her death.
Malad Incident: Anuj Sinha, also intoxicated, hit and killed Shehnaz Qazi with his car.
Drunk Driving Cases: 2024 & 2025 Statistics
2024: 9,462 cases registered (compared to just 2,562 cases in 2023).
2025 (as of February 19): 1,306 cases recorded.
Total in the last six years: 25,525 drunk driving cases in Mumbai.
Mumbai Traffic Police’s New Strategy: ‘Shifting Checkpoints’
To curb drunk driving, the traffic police have implemented a ‘shifting checkpoint’ strategy. Checkpoints are now set up at unexpected locations, preventing drunk drivers from anticipating and avoiding police checks.
Earlier, checkpoints were set up at Vile Parle, but now they are moved to Mahim and Samta Nagar.
A senior Mumbai Traffic Police officer stated, "To curb the rise in drunk driving cases, we have increased checkpoints and roadblocks across the city. Our ‘shifting checkpoints’ strategy has been highly effective. We urge citizens to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol."
Despite the surge in cases, Mumbai Police is proactively implementing new strategies to control drunk driving. However, road safety is not just the responsibility of the administration but also of every citizen.