Drunk driving cases in Bengaluru surged to 38,919 in 2025, a sharp 62.16% rise from 24,000 cases in 2024, Bengaluru Traffic Police data shows. The rise follows stronger enforcement after police found many fatal accidents linked to drunk driving. “When we scrutinised the numbers, fatal accidents due to drunk driving were very high. So we resorted to cracking down on offenders,” said Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic). The December 2025 crackdown alone booked over 6,000 cases, said A. Anoop Shetty, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West, Traffic). The Intelligent Traffic Management System, launched in 2022, cut cases in 2023 by focusing on contactless fines. But police shifted focus to drunk driving after it again increased. East Bengaluru leads in cases. Jeevan Bima Nagar had the highest with 1,491 cases, followed by Bellandur (999) and H.S.R. Layout (984). Sahil Bagla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East, Traffic), pointed out that many pubs on 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar cause frequent violations. Many violators from Koramangala type areas use routes under Jeevan Bima Nagar jurisdiction after partying. Bellandur sees a weekend spike, mostly among tech professionals, said officer Gopal M. Byakod. Licence suspensions, though, stay low despite heavy penalties. Offenders usually face ₹10,000 fines, vehicle seizure, and licence suspension. But many avoid suspension by sharing digital licence copies and not submitting originals. Because police need originals to suspend licences officially, suspension rates fell below 15% in 2025. Now, the police and Transport Department plan to suspend licences even using photocopies or digital copies. The Transport Department is working with National Informatics Centre to update the Saarathi system so suspended licences show up instantly. This will let police book repeat offenders quickly. Police also use smart checkpoint placement to avoid harassment, targeting hotspots strategically. "A person travelling from Silk Board to north Bengaluru should not face multiple checkpoints," said Shetty. Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said enforcement will rise in 2026 with severe penalties for repeat offenders.