Weekend revelry turning fatal in Cyberabad
71 of 145 deaths in Cyberabad road crashes this year due to drunk driving
Hyderabad: A trend of celebrating the weekend with a few rounds of booze and then taking to the wheel is turning out to be quite dangerous in Cyberabad, where 71 out of 145 deaths in weekend road crashes so far this year were due to drunk driving.
The Cyberabad Police, pointing out that a large number of fatal road crashes reported during weekends was due to drunk driving, said many motorists driving in an inebriated condition were either dying in accidents, or causing the death of others in road crashes.
As per data, of the 145 deaths in road crashes reported during weekends this year until July in Cyberabad, 71 were due to drunk driving. Either the driver or those accompanying them or pedestrians lost their lives. Of them, while 20 persons died on Fridays, 18 persons lost their lives on Saturdays and 33 were killed on Sundays.
Officials said it was observed during special drives against drunk driving that many of those caught for drunk driving were under the misconception that they had only a limited intake of alcohol and that it would have no effect on them.
“That is wrong. Accident data clearly points out that driving under the influence of alcohol is one of the major causes of road accidents. The legally permissible limit of alcohol in blood in India is 30 mg/100 ml of blood,” an official said, adding that the effect of alcohol on human body was not uniform on all persons and that any quantity of alcohol would definitely have impact on judgment and responsiveness of a person, which in turn affects their driving skills.
Cyberabad DCP (Traffic), SM Vijay Kumar points out that drunk driving and driving by unauthorised persons had been major causes of road crashes and fatalities. “There is a need for citizens also to join hands in reducing the road accidents and saving lives,” he said.
Apart from producing before court, all those caught driving under the influence of alcohol after filing a charge sheet, their driving licenses were also being seized and forwarded to the Regional Transport Offices concerned for suspension as per the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
Vijay Kumar added that those who cause fatal accidents, particularly under drunken condition, were being booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as per section 304 part II of the Indian Penal Code, which could result in imprisonment of up to 10 years. Persons who allow or accompany drunk drivers were also being prosecuted for abetting the crime.
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