As of October 13, over 25,500 cases of drunk driving have been registered in Kerala; police apply for revocation of license for repeat offenders

(File photo is for representational purposes only.) | Photo credit: The Hindu

Kerala police will recommend suspension of driving licenses of motorists booked for first offense and cancellation of driving licenses of repeat offenders as part of a stepped-up crackdown on drunken and reckless driving launched in the wake of an accident in Nedumbassery that killed three youths.

The police have registered 25,594 cases of drunk driving in Kerala since October 13.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) P. Vijayan, who is heading the operation, said the police would forward the recommendations to the Motor Vehicles Department to take appropriate action against those booked during the special drive.

While first-offense motorists would generally face license suspension, repeat offenders would face increased penalties, including license revocation.

Ernakulam Rural accounted for the highest number of cases during the 29-day drive with 3,166, followed by Kottayam with 2,304 and Thiruvananthapuram Rural with 1,852. Alappuzha recorded 1,715 cases while Kollam city accounted for 1,653.

Ernakulam City reported 1,579 cases, followed by Palakkad with 1,545 and Thiruvananthapuram City with 1,363. Pathanamthitta reported 1,294 cases, while Thrissur City and Thrissur Rural accounted for 1,090 and 1,055 cases respectively. Kollam Rural recorded 1,034 cases and Malappuram 953.

Among the northern districts, Kannur City reported 667 cases, Wayanad 628, Kozhikode City 619 and Kozhikode Rural 614. Kannur Rural and Kasaragod reported 479 and 366 cases respectively.

On November 1, Ernakulam Rural again topped the list with 93 cases, followed by Kottayam with 65 and Thiruvananthapuram Rural with 58.

Mr. Vijayan said the police would act even more strictly in cases where drunken driving leads to accidents. Even if it was a first offense, the police would require the driver’s license to be revoked in such cases. The enhanced penalty would be in line with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, he said.

Cases involving grievous bodily harm could attract non-bailable provisions and imprisonment, while causing death by negligence or rash driving could lead to imprisonment of up to 10 years, the ADGP said.

The campaign saw a slight decrease in traffic violations. However, this assessment is unlikely to mitigate the enforcement action. On the contrary, the intervention is intensifying, the senior officer pointed out.

Intervention extended to rural areas

Police have expanded the crackdown to rural areas to prevent motorists from evading surveillance. Enforcement was previously concentrated mainly in cities, especially in their central areas. Police were now equally targeting rural jurisdictions as errant motorists tended to take alternative routes and shortcuts to avoid surveillance.

Mr Vijayan added that there was no pre-determined time frame for the drive as the aim was to reduce road accidents and deal with cases of road rage. The enforcement campaign also targeted reckless driving, reckless parking and underage driving.

Such violations caused immense inconvenience to other road users, including those who strictly obeyed traffic regulations. Several cases of juvenile driving were also reported from various parts, especially from Malappuram.

The ultimate goal was to create a deterrent against traffic violations and ensure greater road safety across the state, he added.

Published – November 11, 2026 1:08 PM IST