New Delhi, Jul 12 (IANS): Delhi Police prosecuted 161 people for drunk driving during a special drive Monday night in the course of which another 43 people were hauled up for offences like dangerous driving.

"It seems Delhiites expect us to check for drunk driving only on weekends. We keep surprising them even on weekdays and they are caught in large numbers," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said Tuesday.

"We are not against drinking per se but against driving after drinking. Our idea is not more prosecution but awareness that drunken driving is dangerous. We aim to bring it down further by prosecuting violators," Garg posted on Delhi traffic police's Facebook page.

One hundred and sixty-one people were prosecuted within two hours for driving under the influence. Twenty-five people were caught for dangerous driving, 10 for violating No Entry restrictions and eight for other reasons like not wearing a helmet or not carrying documents, Garg said.

Drivers of 111 two-wheelers, 59 cars, 26 light trucks and eight heavy trucks were prosecuted, he said.

The maximum prosecutions - 41 each - took place in south and north Delhi, he added.

According to the Delhi traffic police, more than 1,700 people have been awarded jail terms this year for drunk driving and about 1,400 driving licenses have been suspended, apart from heavy fines being imposed.

According to a 2009 report of the National Crime Records Bureau, Delhi topped the metros in road fatalities.