Blood on the road

When a drunk bus driver wentberserk in the city recently, killing a young boy and ramming into more than 11vehicles , the focus shifted back to the lethal mix of drinking and driving. Andthe fact that it continues to be socially acceptable. Despite themuch-publicised BMW or Alistair Periera cases, you may not think twice beforedriving home after having a few drinks with friends. This attitude cuts across allstrata and age groups and innocent victims seem to be paying the price for it.Why does this keep on happening - is it the absence of stringent laws, laximplementation or the attitude?'Stricterlaws are needed' According to legal experts fromIndia and abroad, the trouble lies with the lax laws. Says former minister andlegal luminary Ram Jethmalani , "The problem in India is that a person drivingunder the influence is charged under Section 304-A , which is a bailableoffence. I would recommend that the police should book them under Section 304,part 2, that will be tantamount to culpable homicide." Something that is already beendone elsewhere . Says the home officer of the London Police, "Under the RoadTraffic Act of 1988 and 1991, if a person driving under the influence causes thedeath of another individual, he/she can be sent to jail for up to 10 years. Incase someone is caught driving a vehicle while under the influence, he/she canface six months imprisonment." In the USA, meanwhile, killingsomeone while driving under the influence is termed vehicular homicide and isconsidered a felony offence. Says the spokesperson ofDistrict Attorney's office, New York, "In such a case, a person can beimprisoned for the period of a few years. However, it depends on various thingslike the percentage of alcohol in the accused's blood, whether it is the firstoffence, etc." As adman Suhel Seth puts it,"We need to set examples in society. In a country like the US, even a celebritylike Paris Hilton is not spared, but in India if you drop big names, you will belet off. As long as we don't have stricter laws, people will mix drinking anddriving." Prince Singhal, who leads acampaign against drunk driving, concurs, "Drunk driving is no more a seasonalcrime. It is happening every second day. The government should make lawsstringent and ensure that the common perception of paying up and getting awayscot-free is erased."'Implementthe existing rules'Stricterenforcement of the laws can also make our roads safer. As fashion designer RannaGill says, "If rules are implemented strictly, it will put the fear of law inpeople's minds. We should have cops on roads and they should check drivers.Enforcement has to be severe so that people know they can't get away."Nikhita Arora, member of the United Students Organisation, also feels thatbribes undercut the point of having good laws. "If laws are not beingimplemented, what difference will it make whether we have good laws or bad?" sheasks.'Changethe mindset' Mixing drinking anddriving also needs to be seen as a crime and not a socially acceptable habit."Driving after drinking is considered ok. You will never see anybody stopping afriend or family member from driving even if they are clearly drunk," says NehaAwasthi, a DU student. "Only when this attitude changes will things improve onthe roads," she adds.