Drink driving: Most offenders between 18 & 35

The traffic police have the maximum trouble with Mumbai’s youngsters when it comes to drink driving. Mumbaiites between 18 and 35 years of age are the worst offenders, shows traffic police data compiled in 2009 and released in March.

The report, available with Hindustan Times, shows that nearly 70 per cent of the offences related to drink driving were registered against youngsters in the 18-35 age group; within this those between 26 and 30 fared the worst. The data shows that 26.31 per cent of offences were registered against those in the 25-35 age group, while those between 18 and 20 years had only 0.28 per cent offences against them.

The offence pattern is almost identical to that of the previous year (2008).

Drivers clearly mellow down with age as figures for the 36-40 age group drop to 15 per cent.

Explaining why youngsters are the worst offenders, Nandkumar Chougule, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said: “Many of these youngsters get a car or a two-wheeler soon after they get out of college, but nobody tells them about their responsibilities.”