Drunk Driving v/s Road Safety

Driving a vehicle comes with a lot of responsibility, as a driver’s behavior is a key factor in 90% of accidents. To drive safely one must maintain alertness, make decisions based on ever changing information present in the environment and execute manoeuvres based on these decisions. A driver’s task becomes all the more challenging in situations of high density traffic and at peak hours. His behavior influences and controls the vehicle and he himself is controlled by his personality, training and attitude.

A vehicle does not remain safe if the driver is inefficient. It is an established fact that alcohol affects the Central Nervous System of the drive. Even at lower levels of alcohol in blood, the sense of judgement is impaired along with the ability to control steering, vision and steady concentration is affected. Alcohol combined with driving increases the incidence of traumatic vehicular injuries and deaths.

The alarming rate of road accidents that are increasing exponentially in India is a matter of serious concern for all of us. Of the worldwide annual average of 700,000 road accidents, 10 per cent occur in India. The latest annual statistics indicate India is world No.1 when it comes to road fatalities with more 1,45,000 deaths occurring annually on our roads.