Lucknow, May 20 -- Uttar Pradesh Police and the transport department conducted a statewide special enforcement drive against drunken driving over two consecutive weekends in May, penalising more than 5,100 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol and issuing challans worth nearly Rs.7.7 crore during the campaign. The statewide operation was conducted on May 9, 10, 16 and 17 under the supervision of A Satish Ganesh, additional director general (ADG), traffic directorate, with the stated objective of reducing road accidents caused by drunken driving. According to police officials, the campaign was jointly carried out by traffic police, civil police and transport department officials across the state, particularly targeting weekend and night-time traffic movement when incidents of drunken driving tend to rise. A Satish Ganesh said analysis of road accident data from previous years revealed that drunken driving contributed to 8.61% of total road accidents in 2023, 6.05% in 2024 and 3.51% in 2025. "A review of accident patterns showed that during weekends some motorists frequently drive under the influence of alcohol, posing a serious risk to innocent commuters and pedestrians, especially during night hours," he emphasised....