Kerala police to suspend licences of first‑time drunk drivers, cancel those of repeat offenders

Kerala police will recommend suspension of driving licences for motorists booked for a first drunk‑driving offence and cancellation for repeat violators. The drive has logged 25,594 cases across the state since October 13. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) P. Vijayan is heading the operation and will forward recommendations to the Motor Vehicles Department. Ernakulam Rural led with 3,166 cases, followed by Kottayam (2,304) and Thiruvananthapuram Rural (1,852). Alappuzha, Kollam City, Ernakulam City, Palakkad and other districts also contributed thousands of bookings. For first‑time offenders the police will generally seek licence suspension; repeat offenders face licence cancellation. Vijayan said that if a first offence results in an accident, the licence will be cancelled and the offender may face non‑bailable charges, imprisonment for grievous injury, or up to ten years for death caused by negligent or rash driving. The campaign has caused a slight dip in overall traffic violations, but authorities say enforcement will not be relaxed. Rural areas are now under equal surveillance as drivers often use alternative routes to avoid city checks. The drive has no fixed end date; its goal is to cut road deaths and curb reckless, parking and juvenile driving offences. ## Context The Motor Vehicles Act empowers police to suspend or cancel licences and impose jail time for dangerous driving. Such crackdowns are launched after serious accidents, like the Nedumbassery crash that killed three youths, to deter drunk and reckless behaviour on Kerala’s roads.