mid-day editorial: Either drink or drive, just don't do both

In the war against drink driving, the Mumbai police have carried out awareness drives, captured the city's attention with memorable tweets

In the war against drink driving, the Mumbai police have carried out awareness drives, captured the city's attention with memorable tweets, launched an on-the-spot e-challan system and roped in celebrities to lend their name and fame to anti-drink driving campaigns.

The cops have increased the number of check posts, deputed over 1,000 personnel on the roads and handed out more breathalyzers to them. But, none of it has worked. Rather, the number of fatalities caused by drink driving has increased by 114 per cent in the last five years.

It's easy to say that the police need to do more to curb this evil, but we say it is time that citizens heed the call of the police and take it upon themselves to drive more responsibly. There is little point in pushing the onus on the authorities every time. The men in uniform are doing their job. The common man, too, needs to realise that the burden lies on us.

Is the fear of punishment the only factor stopping one from drinking and driving? The possibility of taking a life because of irresponsible driving should be a far greater deterrent. Imagine a death occurring because of the way you drive, the massive guilt that must follow if your vehicle were to hit somebody. That is something that can haunt you for life, and leave you with an unbearable sense of guilt. This is reason enough to not take the wheel after drinking.

Let us now focus on introspection, restraint, responsibility for not just your life, but those whom you are sharing the road with.

Let's drive down the figures of drink driving accidents instead. Here's hoping that next year, the statistics bring a smile to our faces, instead of shaking our faith in humanity.

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