Despite repeated warnings and a hike in fines for offenders, motorists in the state indulging in drink driving have doubled in the past four years, RTI reply reveals
Motorists seem to be taking all of the Maharashtra police’s reminders to not drink and drive with a slice of lemon, and on the rocks. In the last four years, the number of drink driving cases has doubled; even a hike in fines has not been able to contain them. All of this was revealed in a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) request.
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According to the figures given in the RTI reply, in 2013, the state recorded 41,727 cases of drink driving, which surged to 58,414 in 2014, that momentarily dipped to 53,049 in 2015 and rose again to 1,08,564 in 2016.This year, between January and February, 2,74,741 such cases were registered.
Repeat offenders
It has also been observed that a large number of offenders have taken repeated shots at the crime. Based on the RTI reply, city-based psychiatrist Dr. Sagar Mundada, who is also the youth president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has raised the demand to send these violators to mental health professionals for reformative changes that would ultimately help in decreasing the cases.
“There are two types of offenders: alcoholics and those in the process of becoming one. In both cases, it is essential to send the offender to a mental health professional who can help them out with proper counselling. It has been seen that 60 per cent are repeat offenders. So, what’s the point in increasing the fines?” asked Dr Mundada.
Need change in law
Highlighting these points, Mundada has written a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting him to make required changes in the current law.
“To make more stringent rules, the government needs to make something that would have a more lasting impact. The offenders should not be handed back their licence until the mental health professional does not give them a no-objection certificate,” he said.
While the number of cases has been rising, so have the coins in the state’s coffers. The state has raked in huge amounts of money in fines for traffic-related violations. In the last four years, the state has bagged R3,43,13,16,593 through such fines levied on motorists.
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