Drunk driving dips but more jump red signal

The year did begin with an allegedly intoxicated 27-year-old motorist killing a policeman conducting breathalyser tests on Marine Dive but going by statistics, drunk driving cases have apparently been on reverse gear.

In 2009, the traffic police booked 14,681 drunk motorists, while the figure was 16,450 in 2008. In 2007, since June 20 when the anti-drunk-driving campaign was launched, more than 11,000 people were found to have tanked themselves up instead of their vehicles.

The downward spin in drunk driving, if only by about 2,000 cases, has brought cheer to activists as well as the Mumbai traffic police who feel that their effort has led to this change on the streets. The 2009 data, however, points at another worrying sign. Last year, of the 23.61 lakh people, booked for an array of more than 25-odd violations, ranging from dangerous ones like drunk driving to strange ones like ’soliciting’, more than 3.76 lakh jumped signals.

With motorists refusing to stop before the white line or the red light, pedestrians are feeling worst hit, literally. After a lawyer was assaulted by a motorcyclist at a signal last year, the oldest and respected lawyers’ body—Bombay Bar Association—through its president advocate Rohit Kapadia got into the act. After studying the situation, he has now moved the Bombay high court, seeking better implementation of traffic rules, especially at signals. The petition that has also raised the issue of “dangerous” free turns and blinking lights at certain junctions, along with the need of increased fine for jay-walking and a cycling-lane, is likely to be heard
on Wednesday.

The number of drunk drivers though seemingly fewer are mainly in the younger age group. They were also, said police, more often than not speeding or driving rashly. Almost one-third drunk drivers are in the age group of 21-25 years of age and another major chunk are aged between 25-30 years. On December 31, 2009, 720 motorists were arrested for drunk driving, of whom 214 were in their early 20s.

In between chaotic traffic and honking vehicles, the police also managed to catch 5,657 people for an offence of “spilling water”, which attracts a small fine. Water tankers that criss-cross the city after filling up at old wells at Charni Road and elsewhere were the main culprits, even though at some junctions resourceful slum dwellers fill pots and pans with the same spilling water.

Former deputy police commissioner (traffic) Harish Baijal, who launched the anti-drunk-driving campaign, said, “It was the death of three persons in March 2007 by three drunk drivers that triggered the drive to clean Mumbai’s roads. The result it is showing now is due to the hard work of all the traffic department personnel who tirelessly carry out the exercise to curb the offence.” Advocate Armin Wandrewala, who bore the brunt of a motorist’s ire at a traffic signal last year, said the police could also upgrade its facility and have more cameras to spot violators.

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