Drunken Driving has become rampant in India and esp. in Mumbai and more so with the teenagers mostly from elite class who get easy money to spend lavishly.The late night parties or orgies over the drinks coupled with an easy access to the vehicle leads to rash and uncontrolled driving and the result is the innocent people being mauled down under the wheels .
Laws against drunken driving or driving under the influence of alcohol vary from country to country. But while India allows a lower permissible limit of alcohol in blood than many countries, punishments in some countries for drunken driving can be harsher than in India. However, stricter laws aren't always a deterrent. In Russia, there is zero tolerance for drivers found with even a trace of alcohol on their breath. The licence can be confiscated for life. Content of alcohol in blood must be 0. In India, 30mg alcohol is allowed in 100ml of blood—0.03% blood-alcohol content. In India, a first offence can draw a prison term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to Rs 2,000. A second offence within three years can draw imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of Rs 3,000.
Worldwide, the permissible level of alcohol in the bloodstream can vary from 0.08% (in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy) to none at all. In many states of the United States and Australia, a stricter, lower limit exists for younger or less experienced drivers.
In Mumbai, with the number of incidences increasing day by day,the traffic police have adopted some stricter measures like frequent checking the drivers, esp.at night time, with Breath Analyser for finding the alcohol % and arresting them and also the rash drivers. It is generally observed that the risk of accident is more with the drunken teenagers.In last month alone the police had arrested 306 drunken drivers and collected fines to the tune of Rs.6.12 lacs. However, more stricter measures should be adopted to totally curb this menace. There is a proposal under consideration to cancel the driving licences permanently or for a long specified period of the drivers who are found drunk. This needs to be properly studied and then seriously implemented.
With death toll sky rocketing world wide due to drunken driving and the threat of arrest and punishment having little effect, the search is on to manufacture a technological up gradation – alcohol detection device – to address the problem. The auto makers and medical equipment manufacturers in western countries have already started manufacturing the devices that can be adapted for this to test drivers for alcohol and disable their vehicles. Ignition interlocks device, that tests drivers and shuts down the car if it detects alcohol above permissible levels and may read alcohol content when a driver’s palm touches the steering wheel or the gear shift lever,are underway.The installation of such device on the vehicle will definitely help in solving the problem to greater extent.
However, there is also other way of tackling this issue. Drunken driving is also a social problem and should be handled in the right perspective. Like"Alcoholic Anonymous" programme, the social groups should work out some programme to educate the people to dissuade or change their attitude towards drinking and then driving.
Definitely, this is long process which needs lot of patience,but it may bear fruits at the end. Labels: Disaster, Education, labour |
