Bengaluru: On a high! Steep rise in drunk driving

Bengaluru: There is a significant increase in the number of drunk driving cases and accidents caused by such drivers this year, as compared to previous years. Such drivers continue to pose a threat to other innocent road users. This despite the Bengaluru traffic police maintaining a strict vigil, conducting relentless drives throughout the week and holding awareness campaigns by NGOs and the police in the city.

The number of people booked for driving under the influence of alcohol, more than double the quantity permitted, has shown a considerable rise as compared to the last two years. Worryingly, more number of school bus and ambulance drivers have been caught for the violation, which is a dangerous trend as the put the lives of children and patients at risk.

Between January and October 2017, for which the data is available, the number of cases booked for drunk driving is 54,858, which is 7,669 cases more than those booked in 2016, and 8,505 more than the cases booked in 2015. The traffic police had booked 47,189 and 46,353 cases in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R. Hithendra said that the number will go up as the police have intensified their crackdown on drunk drivers and riders. “The traffic police are on their toes even during the weekdays, while earlier such drives were conducted only on weekends. You don’t know where you bump into the traffic police as we have increased special drives against drunk drivers,” he said.

“Only a few drunk drivers and riders are caught, while majority escape. They either make a U-turn or choose a shortcut, without realising that they put the lives of other road users in danger. Only the implementation of the proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicle Bill can put brakes on drunk driving," he said.

Describing it as an alarming trend, he expressed concern over more number of ambulance and school bus drivers being tested positive for drunk driving. “The last few months saw a number of ambulance and school bus drivers driving under the influence of alcohol while patients and children were onboard. This came as a surprise for us. We have advised hospitals and school managements to have a thorough background check of drivers. It’s their responsibility and they cannot just wash their hands off by sacking them from the service after an incident happens,” he said.

According to the proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicle Bill, the fine for drunk driving will increase from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 and the police will recommend to the transport department to suspend offenders' licences even if it is the first offence.

‘Difficult to deal with drunk drivers’
To argue with a driver or rider caught drunk driving is a challenge for the police. Explaining the ordeal, a traffic policeman explained how difficult it was to get an offender to blow into the breathalyser. “By the time an offender blows into the breathalyser, we would have listened to many excuses and references like ‘You don’t who I am’, ‘You are not doing right’ and many more. But our policy with offenders is straight and simple: You have violated the law, face the music,” he said. “In a recent incident, a rider caught for the drunk driving demanded proof that he was drunk. He even tried to sue us for intercepting him without a valid reason,” he said.

Another police officer said that the number of women and minors driving under the influence of alcohol has also increased as compared to last few years.

Telling numbers
Data available with the Bengaluru traffic police suggests that though the number of accidents in the city has drastically come down from 7,506 in 2016 to 3,818 in 2017 (till September), the police maintain that the number of accidents involving drunk drivers has not declined.