Will Delhi stop drunken driving in the new year?

As Delhi ushers in the new year, there are hopes that the coming days would be great for the city, leave alone the several resolutions that would go waste for some. 

However, there is one troubling statistic amongst all the hype. 

Delhi has a dubious distinction of having the highest number of accidents due to drunken driving, which is approximately 1,500, compared to other metros. The reason of drunken driving is one of the major causes for mishaps and accidents, some of which turn deadly at times. It is believed that on festival days, cases of drunk driving increases by 300-400 per cent as compared to an average day. What is worse is that every fourth person is practicing drunk driving on Delhi’s roads. 

These statistics may seem exaggerated to some. But the risks of drunken driving and its rise has been acknowledged by many Delhiites. Prince Singhal, head of Community against Drunken Driving (CADD) says: “There is no mechanism and even no serious effort by Delhi Police to check drunken driving. Among lakhs of such cases, last year there were only 608 cases of drunk driving reported which I believe was only a minor percentage compared to the total population.” 

On asking whether they were mostly youngsters, Singhal said: “Though drunken driving involves all age groups including women, free availability of alcohol and supplying it without checking the age proof makes sure that youngsters as old as 15-16 years are drinking it freely. Nearly 70 per cent of drunk driving accidents involve young people in the age group of 18-35 years.”

Singhal added: “The biggest problem lies with implementation and checking of drunk driving. Enforcement drives are carried out mostly during festive seasons. The situation is so bad that even if you kill someone or cause grievous injury due to drunk driving, you can easily get bail. Currently, the fine applicable is Rs 2,000 for the first offence. However, you can easily get away by paying a bribe of Rs 100-500.”

On tackling the issue sternly, Singhal said there has to be an  amendment in law, especially in Section 304A and Section 279 that ensures that drunk driving be treated as a serious offence and make it a non bailable punishment with cancellation of license along with a slew of measures like mandatory alcohol test, strengthening alcohol test and encouraging public and community interaction.