The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Drunken driving cases on the rise in Tiruchi region

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Drunken driving cases on the rise in Tiruchi region

Next to over-speeding, it is the chief cause for road accidents, writes
R. Rajaram

In the last six months, on the recommendations of the police, the Transport Department suspended the driving licence of 148 persons in various districts in the Central region for drunken driving.

Even as the police register cases against them under the Motor Vehicle Act, and impose fines, ‘spirited’ drivers keep disregarding the threat they could cause to their own lives as well as to others by their act much to the chagrin of law- abiding road users. Next to over-speeding, drunken driving is said to be the chief cause for road accidents.

The city police book an average of 20 drunken driving cases a day, say police sources. The figures of drunken driving cases booked across the Central Zone, comprising eight districts, has exceeded the 10,000 mark so far this year. It is rampant in Karur, Tiruchi Rural and Thanjavur where over 1,500 cases had been booked in each of these districts, if the cases registered are any indication.

Police sources say that besides detecting alcohol consumption with breath analyser, they also obtain a report from the government doctor. The charge-sheet is filed after obtaining the doctor’s certificate and a fine of Rs. 2,000 is slapped.

On most occasions, drunken driving is noticed only during late evening hours in the city limits, says a senior police officer. Driving under the influence of alcohol would lead to lack of concentration, suppression of brain activity, visual disturbances, lack of coordination between hand and leg movements and memory disturbances — all could lead to accident, says Dr. M.A. Aleem, Professor of Neurology, K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College and Annal Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Tiruchi. Driving a vehicle during the post-alcoholic effect stage could equally be bad as the person would be in a state of aggression, lack of concentration and irritability.

Citing a study done in the city, Dr. Aleem says that of the total number of two-wheeler accident victims, nearly sixty per cent of them were found to be in inebriated state at the time of accident. They were in the age group of 20-40 years.

Insisting on self-discipline, police sources say those who consume alcohol should ensure that they do not drive a vehicle. Repeated indulgence in this kind of an offence will be dealt with severely through cancellation of licence, officials added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu