E-Paper
Yourspace: Year-ender alarm, put brakes on drink driving
Drink driving tends to rise sharply during the year-end, leading to avoidable accidents and casting a dark shadow on the holiday spirit. Here’s what our readers have to say to the police and the public with regards to drink driving
Drink driving is a serious offence and there needs to be zero tolerance for this. Globally one finds that unless there are regular checks, not just during certain events, this cannot be curbed effectively. The offence is not compoundable, meaning that the police cannot just fine the offender and let him off. Police need to do random checks often and convictions need to be publicised. There must be public and political support for strong enforcement. Police can procure adequate breath analysers from the State Road Safety Fund.
Section 185 of Motor Vehicles Act states that anyone caught with blood alcohol level higher than 30 mg per 100 ml, which must be confirmed with a breath analyser, will be subject to prosecution and if convicted will have to pay a Rs 10,000 fine and possibly face jail time up to six months (for first offence) and Rs 15,000 fine and up to 2 years jail sentence for any subsequent offence. It is not compoundable, so police have to issue a court summons.
According to Section 203, if it appears to a police officer that a breath test indicates the presence of alcohol in the person’s blood, the police officer may arrest that person without warrant. Section 20 states that when a person is convicted of a drink and drive offence, the court shall order the disqualification from holding licence for a period of not less than six months.
Ranjit Gadgil
Disappointed that people still drink and drive
Not only is drinking and driving against the law, it’s amongst the most dangerous things you could do. Any amount of alcohol in your bloodstream can impact your driving ability. The effects of alcohol abuse vary greatly, putting you at risk and causing an accident or highway injury. Safe driving requires the ability to concentrate, make good judgements and quickly react to situations. However, alcohol affects these skills, putting the driver and others in danger. Every year, on New Year's Eve, our police forces are on duty for our safety, leaving their loved ones at home. It is disappointing to see that people still drink and drive. We must be responsible individuals and support the cause of safe driving and say no to drink driving. If you are consuming alcohol, then you must be responsible and take a driver along or book private cabs.
Samaiirah
Designate a driver
There’s no reason to drive drunk, especially when you are putting yourself and others in danger. It’s as simple as calling for an autorickshaw, or hailing a private cab. You don’t even have to designate a sober driver anymore, they are everywhere and at your fingertips. Why risk your job, your reputation, your life, and worst of all, the lives of others when so many resources are available? Always be with a sober friend when you drink, or just don’t do it. Overall, just be smart. If you’ve had even a single drink, call a driver to take you where you need to go. The only acceptable number of drink driving accidents is zero.
Randhir Rathod
It is not just about you
It’s easy to disregard your own safety. After all, you’ve kept yourself alive for how long now? However, could you ever forgive yourself if you injured another person? A child? That would be such a terrible thing to remember and deal with your whole life. It just isn’t worth it. Staying off the roads while you are drunk is essential to not only keeping yourself safe, but also keeping the people around you safe. While you are intoxicated your judgement is impaired and there is no way to really know what you are doing. In order to keep yourself and those around you safe, it is a good idea to always have a responsible and sober party. Accidents on New Year’s Eve are completely avoidable.
Arya Rai
Be a responsible citizen
Alcohol, no matter how much or how little, can influence your concentration. Heavy drinking affects your motor skills such as eye, hand and foot coordination. Without crucial coordination skills, you may be unable to avoid an impending harmful situation. Hence, one must behave responsibly and think before driving when under the influence of alcohol.
Vijay Chavan
Use technology and be safe
If you are an individual who has been tempted to get behind the wheel after you have had a few drinks, or have not been quick to hand over your keys to a designated driver after drinking, then, you must think twice before doing so. Revellers must make use of the technology that is available at their finger tips. While there are private cab aggregators, there are other apps that can come in handy to make New Year’s Eve safer. There are apps wherein servers working at liquor establishments can keep track of the number of drinks a customer orders on a particular table. Accordingly, they can book a cab for the customer. Everyone must make use of the technology and be safe.
Mohit Bindal
Awareness is a must
During 2019, the traffic branch of Pune police took action against nearly 13,000 drink driving offenders. The importance of this drive cannot be understated in any way. In case of drink driving, the imprisonment is up to six months and/or a fine amounting to Rs 10,000 for the first offence and two years imprisonment and/or fine of Rs 15,000 for second offence, according to Motor Vehicles Act. However, not many people are aware of this. The civic authorities and the traffic police must conduct awareness drives before Christmas and New Year’s Eve to educate the public about the effects of drink driving. The authorities could put up posters at every junction and must do their bit to reduce the number of accidents and drink driving cases that occur on these particular dates.
Iqbal Shaikh
Stringent traffic norms should be enforced
Understanding the dangers of drinking and driving is not rocket science. Nevertheless, too many people continue to operate their cars while intoxicated. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2014 alone, 9,967 people lost their lives in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. While the police are doing their best by conducting awareness drives, what we need, is strict vigilance. The traffic police must initiate a special enforcement drive to reduce the fatalities and bring down the cases of drink driving. The police must deploy additional force at soft spots where accidents have occurred in the previous year.
Pari Hamdule
Drives turn futile without public participation
The traffic police have launched numerous drives to create awareness among the residents, but sense of safe driving and road discipline seems to be missing totally. Accidents due to drink driving especially during Christmas and New Year’s Eve is due to casual implementation of traffic rules and lack of proper planning. Violators believe that if they get caught, they can pay small amount of money and get away. This thinking has to be changed at the earliest or else everybody would be having a free run on the roads. The police patrolling has to be increased to put a curb on offenders. Even citizens should come forward in proper implementation of traffic norms. Without active participation of citizens, public awareness drives cannot achieve their objective.
Ankit Shelar
Parents must be careful too
Drink driving should not be allowed at any cost and violators should not be released by just charging a fine. Their license must also be confiscated. The youth today get their licence quite early and have no sense of responsibility. The parents must be responsible and ensure that their children are aware of the traffic rules and not drink and drive.
Maya Bhatkar
Life imprisonment must be the only punishment
People often take traffic rules for granted, but this carelessness can cost them their own life. Life is not cheap like alcohol. We are putting not just ourselves in danger, but others as well. Life imprisonment must be the only punishment for those who drink and drive.
Siddharth Dhende
Life is precious
The residents must understand that the police cannot check every person who is driving under the influence of alcohol as they have limitations. A few changes can be made to streamline the traffic and keep traffic violators at bay. Barriers should be installed ahead of Zebra crossing on traffic signals so that everybody halts at a particular safe distance and provide passage to others, especially pedestrians. Life is precious and one must have civic sense.
Anoop Panjwani
