THE MALICE OF DRUNKEN DRIVING

The cynosure of the entire Salman Khan ‘hit and run’ case has been the vicissitudes of whether justice has been delivered or not. But in this sabre rattling, we have ignored the deep seated subaltern issue of ‘drunken driving’. Everybody maintains a silence on whether he or she has ever driven under the influence of alcohol. The Blood Alcohol content (BAC) legal limit in India is 0.03% alcohol in 100 ml of blood. Hence a couple of beers, a few shots of vodka or two solid pegs of whiskey and you simply cross the permissible limit. Almost everyone of us who indulges in the habit of drinking, gets behind the wheels. For guys, it’s a case of ‘chauvinism’ and chivalry, to demonstrate the control that one has over oneself in such ‘high’ circumstances. For the girls, it’s their ‘why should boys have all the fun?’ obsession. In India people drive heavy commercial vehicles after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. This is the very cause for the astonishing statistics when it comes to road accidents. 16 children die on Indian roads daily. There is one death every 4 mins. In which other country would you find alcohol outlets all along the highways? Trucks and cars are parked outside these shacks selling alcohol, without any confirmation of the legal age. In today’s scenario, it’s not the truck drivers but the middle income group as well as the upper class, who indulge in the “aaji raati re basiba”  culture. Men find it humiliating to allow their wives to drive even when they are aware that they are beyond the legal limit. Wives and partners dare not suggest that they would rather not risk their family’s lives by travelling in a car driven by a drunken driver.

An educated person realises the impairment caused to one’s senses due to drinking. The ability to make a judgement of stopping when seeing a moving object is seriously impaired after a few drinks. Reaction time, muscle co ordination decreases with every sip. Self control and reasoning ability is impaired with every peg. In India, where people don’t cross roads at zebra crossings, the repercussions of drinking and driving are far reaching. India is a young country, and specifically in a state like Odisha, people tend to become emotionally charged up at every possible opportunity. The propensity to ‘let your hair down’ by riding their bikes at a high speed and show stunts has taken a lot of young lives. Consumption of alcohol reduces inhibition and promotes aggressive behaviour. Jumping lights, making U-turns, turning right at only straight signs are some common enough violations. And these can lead to fatal eventualities if the person behind the wheel is not alert. Driving requires undivided attention; chatting, texting and alcohols are various deterrents to that. The spur of the moment or the thrill of the situation can often manoeuvre your decision making, but the implication of loss of a human life is far more seminal.

Hence it is high time that awareness programmes regarding the dangers of drunken driving are conducted in schools, colleges and even offices. Along with the parents, wives and children also have a bigger role to play in influencing the decision making process and sedating the egos of men.  Statistics show that in India, 70% of fatally injured drivers have excess alcohol in their blood. Hence ask your friend to drop you home or call a cab. Exercise any of these options, instead of driving under the influence of alcohol. Every life matters, if not to you but to a lot of others!!!