This year, so far, 448 e-challans have been issued to motorists found under the influence of alcohol. The figure becomes more alarming given the fact that the offending drivers in the two recent cases, including the deaths of a jogger and a minor, were in an inebriated state. In March, a 58-year-old jogger named Rajalaxmi Ramkrishnan was killed in a road accident after a 23-year-old man dashed her in a drunken state. In the same month, a three-year-old girl died in the Bandra-Kurla Complex after a 54-year-old intoxicated man mowed down her.
Talking to The FPJ, Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police Praveen Padwal said, “We understand the seriousness of driving in a drunken state and its major consequences. Hence, we have taken several measures to address the problem and make people feel safe.” Apart from creating awareness among the masses on roads and social media, the traffic police have now written to the state excise department, whose primary function is to collect excise duty on the alcoholic products and to regulate the trade of these products. “We have written to them highlighting the importance of putting up boards, messages and directions for buyers outside alcohol shops about the conscious decisions they make after consuming alcohol. It is important in a given situation for people to change their habits, which is fortunately changing a bit, with time. People now largely prefer taking a cab after consuming alcohol instead of self-driving and risking themselves and others. However, we still have a long way to go from here,” said Padwal.
Every week, traffic cops conduct special nakabandis to check on erring motorists. “We have more than 100 points across the city, where nakabandis are conducted regularly. We check for drunk driving, wearing helmets or seat belts, driving within the speed limits, following signal rules, maintaining traffic disciplines. These frequent nakabandis create consciousness among motorists for not breaking rules and putting others in trouble,” said a local traffic cop.
During Covid, breathalysers were out of use due to transmission of viruses. They were back this year as they immensely help in evaluating alcohol content in bodies of drivers and accordingly penalise them, said officials.
“The awareness campaigns and nakabandis are giving us a positive result. We are seeing the numbers (of drunk and drive cases) going down, compared to previous years. With people extending their cooperation, we can go towards no cases of drunk driving in the future,” concluded Padwal.
