Column

Two days ago, I writhed in horror when I read about an inebriated motorist running over a biker at Marine Drive. It was another grim reminder in a series of such blood-curdling incidents of how high life condescended to throw caution to the wind where human lives were involved.

Not that all affluent people are such, but the fact that all of those involved have been found to have deep pockets and all victims have almost always been many notches down in financial terms, has projected the rich as devils in human garb. In a country weighed down by the psyche of haves and have-nots - with the latter countless folds more than the former - cases of drunken driving by cocky brats widen the schism and lend themselves to some cheap politics as they invariably grab eyeballs.

Drunken driving attracted national attention in 1999 after hotelier Sanjeev Nanda’s BMW hit-and-run case in New Delhi where six people were mowed down. Nearer home, 2002 saw actor Salman Khan on the wrong side of law. A similar case to precede the Marine Drive shocker was the 27-year-old US-returned beautician, Nooriya Haveliwala case.

Little wonder, the accused in most cases have been either celebrities or influential people.Strict laws have failed to prove a deterrent. Till August, Mumbai traffic police had booked about 9,600 motorists for drunk driving, while last year, the figure stood at over 14,600. Penalty may amount to fine, losing one’s licence, probation for some time and jail sentence, which in most cases is diminished.

Which brings us to the basic question: can law alone put this trend on a leash? Not likely. What we need today is to listen to our own voice of conscience which implores us to behave responsibly. An Australian traffic rule says that road sense is the offspring of courtesy and the parent of safety. By such reckless action, are we doing any good to ourselves, to our society and indeed, to posterity? The answer holds the key to the problem.