Mumbai: Drink-and-drive cases recorded in Mumbai fell steadily between 2016 and 2018, but the pattern is likely to be broken by the figures for this year. The number of cases recorded in the first five months of 2019 for drunken driving have increased by 145 per cent , compared to the corresponding figure for the same time in 2018. Police have pegged the steady decline from 20,768 cases in 2016 to 11,711 cases in 2018, to constant police deployment, stringent action against violators and collecting fines and impounding the licences of errant motorists.
The fear of losing their driving licence for a period of six years if found flouting rules, as mandated by the state government, has acted as a deterrent and helped bring down the number of drunken driving cases in Mumbai, said Shahaji Umap, deputy commissioner of police (traffic headquarters). In 2016, traffic police had booked 20,768 motorists for drunken driving and this number fell further, with 18,056 and 11,711 cases in 2017 and 2018. In the first five months of 2019, 6,752 cases have been recorded so far.
After undertaking several awareness campaigns and enforcing daily nakabandis at main junctions in the city, people seem to be understanding the consequences of their actions and have voluntarily put a stop to it. DCP Umap said, “When a motorist drives under the influence of alcohol, they are not just putting their lives at risk but also those of other motorists and pedestrians. We have been constantly putting out awareness messages on virtual message boards as well as on social media, which has now resulted in the decline in number of drunken driving cases.”
Data procured from the Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP) revealed that the south and central parts of Mumbai recorded a 319 and 275 per cent increase for drunken driving cases registered between January and May 2018 and 2019 respectively. While MTP booked 243 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2018, this year, the number rose to 776 in south Mumbai areas like Colaba, Azad Maidan, Kalbadevi, Pydhonie and Malabar Hill. Similarly, in 2018, 215 motorists were booked for drunken driving while this year, 592 people were booked in central Mumbai areas of Tardeo, Nagpada, Byculla, Bhoiwada and Worli.
In addition to impounding licences of those caught for driving under influence of alcohol, fining violators has also proved a successful deterrent. Mumbai Traffic Police have collected Rs 12,07,50,850 from motorists for drunken driving between 2016 and 2019.
-PRIYANKA NAVALKAR
