As the year comes to an end my mind wanders to the thousand motorists in New Delhi who spent the early hours of 2016 trying to wriggle out of an unpleasant situation. Last New year eve Delhi Traffic Police had issued challans to nearly 1000 motorists for violating traffic rules out of which 608 were prosecuted for drunken driving. Apart from this seven people who tragically lost their lives in road accidents that night never woke up to the new year. Rise in traffic accidents at this time of revelry is prevalent the world over. Now with the rural youth catching up with the party culture the menace of drunken driving has seeped from cosmopolitan cities into smaller towns.

Alcohol is a depressant and slows down the thought process. This increases the reaction time, upsets balance and coordination and impairs vision and hearing. It affects judgement and reasoning causing reckless behaviour. It also causes drowsiness and lack of concentration.
The effect lasts even after alcohol has left the bloodstream. In one study, two-thirds of a group of pilots could not perform routine tasks in a simulator 14 hours after drinking, despite their BAC being within permissible limits.

Legally the permissible Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in India is 0.03% or 30 mg alcohol in 100 ml blood which is among the lowest in the world but experts seek to reduce it further to 0.02%. This would make even a pint of beer , a glass of wine or a peg of whiskey an overindulgence. In some respects it will be a welcome step because drinking and driving just don’t mix. There is no safe limit for alcohol consumption as a single drink can impair judgement and cause accidents . Moreover BAC is affected by other factors apart from how much alcohol one drinks, like, the speed of drinking, whether one has eaten or not, body size, gender and also mental makeup. Contrary to popular belief using substances like breath mints, breath spray, mouthwash and onions may fool an officer but it can not mask the BAC on a breath analyser.

Each year the Traffic Police deploys teams armed with breath analysers to catch alcohol impaired drivers. Although blood tests are more accurate, breath analysers are more practical hence commonly employed. The walk test is also used where the suspect is asked to walk in a straight line. A difficult feat after substance abuse because of impaired balance and coordination. There need to be such sobriety checkpoints spread out in towns and on highways and there should be a zero tolerance policy once an offender is caught. Recently the penalty for drunken driving in the NCR has been raised upto Rs 2000 with jail upto 6 months for first offence and Rs. 3000 fine and upto 2 yrs Imprisonment for repeat offenders. Additionally, the driving license is suspended and vehicle is liable to be impounded. There is an outcry to make the punishment more severe.

So there are enough reasons to avoid driving in an inebriated state. If you plan to indulge in drinks and get merry arrange a safe alternative to get home after the party, call a cab or designate a non drinker as your driver. If you are hosting the party ensure that all your guests leave with sober drivers. But this is not all, in the holiday season you need to be over cautious even if you are sober because other road users may not be as law abiding. Safety saves.

Drive defensively. Try to recognise reckless and potentially dangerous drivers. Also stay clear of wayward pedestrians on the sidewalks. Control your temper and resist the temptation to retaliate in case of untoward incidents. Maintain a minimum two second following distance to avoid bumping into the car ahead if it brakes suddenly. This distance should be increased at night and in foggy conditions when visibility is reduced or the road is wet.

Be visible – drive with your lights on. Headlights should be dipped well before an approaching vehicle is within range of the main beam. Do this not only as a courtesy to a fellow road user but for your own safety. The glare of a headlight can blind the drivers of oncoming vehicles.

Always wear your seat belt and ensure that everyone in the car is wearing theirs. Stay within the speed limit at all times. Only overtake when it is absolutely safe to do so. Avoid distractions on the road such as texting and conversations on cellular phones. Pull over if a call is necessary. Idle chatting hampers concentration even when a hands free device is being used.

The new year is a time to celebrate new beginnings, lets get it right. Rejoice with responsibility and restraint. Cheers to 2016….may it see you happy and healthy

(published in my column ‘Reading the Pulse’ in the Sunday Tribune on 27/12/2015)