The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Tough laws mooted to curb drunk driving

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Wednesday, Jan 09, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Tough laws mooted to curb drunk driving

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

Transport Minister calls for stern measures as alcohol-related accidents go up

Plan to make drunk driving non-bailable offence
Cancelling of driving licence for longer periods mooted

Thiruvananthapuram: With drunk driving and alcohol-related road accidents on the rise in the State, the law-enforcing agencies are for stringent punishment like making drunk driving a non-bailable offence and cancelling of driving licence for longer periods as in metros.

The demand put forward by the law-enforcing agencies received a shot in the arm with Minister for Transport Mathew T. Thomas also calling for stern punishment, including prison-term, to check alcohol-related road accidents.

At the valedictory meeting of Road Safety Week here on Monday, Mr. Thomas said in Mumbai a detailed list of those sent to prison were being flashed through display boards.

The Minister said stern punishments would have a telling effect on those who indulged in drunk driving. Although Kerala has 4.3 per cent of the vehicles in the country, 10 per cent of the road accidents occur in the State.

The increase in consumption of alcohol in the State over the years and the increase in the number of cases registered by the traffic police pointed to this disturbing trend.

While 2,538 and 2,573 cases were registered under Section 184 (rash and negligent driving) of the Motor Vehicle Act in 2005 and 2006 respectively in the capital city, it has gone up to 5,207 cases in 2007.

Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Ravada A. Chandrasekhar said stern action against those indulging in drunk driving resulted in the increase in number of cases.

Road safety experts said a total of 2,555 drivers had got simple imprisonment under Section 185 for drunk driving and licences of 2,695 others suspended since the drive began in July in Mumbai.

Majority of the motorists caught during checking after 9 p.m. had been found to be drunk. According to the police, car owners who attended dinners and parties tend to get drunk and indulged in rash driving.

Those who were caught during checking had to be subjected to medical examination within two hours.

Driving under the influence of alcohol would attract imprisonment up to six months or fine up to Rs.2,000 or both with provision for enhanced punishment for repeating the offence within three years of the first conviction.

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