Angry citizens tell Speak Up that we let off culprits too easily. Why not stick them with homicide charges?
On Monday, yet another bunch of drunk youngsters smashed their car into hapless bystanders. Angry citizens tell Speak Up that we let off culprits too easily. Why not stick them with homicide charges?
You require very strong deterrents
None of the big clubs and pubs in Mumbai have police patrolling outside. So it is obvious that when people leave after a couple of drinks they just casually get into their cars and drive. People caught for drunken driving are usually rich and get away with their crime using money. Most times they are not even caught. And if caught, the punishment is too light to deter others. One cannot blame the authorities entirely for this. The fault lies with the citizens.
—Kamlesh Ailani
Police can't enforce moral responsibility
People who drink and drive should exercise self control. You cannot pin all the blame on the law enforcers. How many roads and alleys can they patrol? The police campaign against drunken driving has not been implemented properly and realistically speaking it cannot be. This is an evil that only the perpetrators can root out. Individuals should have a sense of moral and social responsibility. That is not something the world outside can impose on you.
—Gaurav Mutreja
Parents need to always stay vigilant
Most times parents don't even know what their children are upto. In one incident early this year I heard the father didn't even know his son could drive! But parents need to be more careful in monitoring their children's movements. Every individual is responsible for his/her own behaviour. Of course, the police have failed. The campaign should not have flagged. And of course, the punishment should be more stringent.
—Forum Dedhia
It is supposed to be very cool
Yesterday I was drunk and I drove back home. I was caught by the cops who put me through a breathalyzer test, asked for a licence and then let me go! All I did was pop onion bits into my mouth! If need be, the patrol party can be bribed. In Mumbai these things happen all the time. Most youngsters drink and drive because they see celebrities doing so and think it is cool to be smashed and at the wheels. But I think it isn’t a very good idea to drink and drive.
—Ashish Shah
Cancel licences, impose huge fines
Whenever we go to a party we usually take a driver or hire a cab. I've lived abroad for many years and driving rules there are very stringent. My stay there got me into the habit of following driving rules at all times. When we are in a group and are planning to go to a party we make sure that one of us is a teetotaller or agrees not to drink. In the UK, if you exceed the speed limit, the punishment is severe and fines run into thousands. We need stricter laws here.
—Karen Anand
I don’t think drink driving is cool
II am an avid follower of safe driving rules. I make it a point to take a driver whenever I go for a party. Or I leave my car behind and take a cab. Even when I go out with friends I try to stay in my senses. Yes we do party hard sometimes but then someone takes the responsibility of staying sober. The idea is to stay safe and still enjoy yourself. There is nothing cool about drunk driving. I drive safe and sane and insist my friends do so too.
—Siddhanth Karnick
We don't police ourselves
If I get drunk at a party, I don't drive but take the public transport instead. Some of my friends do drive after a couple of drinks and find it totally unacceptable. The rules for drink driving are much more stringent abroad. Once when I was in Singapore with a few friends, we couldn't find a cab to return home in the night. There was a long queue for cabs as people who had been drinking did not want to drive home. In India, we do not follow the law in most contexts.
—Cyrus Broacha
The laws should be implemented strictly
It's been a long time since I had any alcoholic drinks. In my country we follow strict rules. In Mumbai, I see people breaking the rules and getting away with it. I’ve seen citizens freely violating the law. Most skip traffic signals easily. Although there are speed limits given, nobody bothers to stick to them. The traffic congestion in Mumbai doesn’t allow too many people to speed, but rash driving is very common here. Laws should be implemented strictly.
—Rosa Catalano
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