DUI/Drunk driving is by and large viewed casually by many. In fact, some done even consider it an offence, and may choose to be repeat offenders. For long, folks have gotten away with drinking and driving, and unless there are strict protocols and implementation in place, it’s going to be mighty difficult to thwart such practices.
And Pune police has a novel way of addressing the matter. The police force has a publicly viewable listing that names offenders. That’s not all. It lists all there’s to know. That includes the police division under which the offence is registered, name of offender and address, sections under which the offence is registered, date, time and place of incident, and vehicle number. So, there’s really no getting away.
In August, the police department linked traffic violation data and pending fines with the passport department and character certification department. The punitive measure saw 360 passport application withheld on account of non-payment of fines related to traffic violations until clearance of fines.
The move aims to encourage traffic discipline in Pune. The system is awry and the streets packed, with lane discipline not even being considered. It’s quite literally upto the police and public to work diligently to fix the rotten road traffic system.
Ahmedabad too is making an effort to curb drunk driving incidents. A bit strange since Ahmedabad is a dry state but it sure seems that people are still drinking, and the coppers are aware of this. A photo from the Bapunagar police station area shows them waiting with a traffic van with a clearly written poster that says the van is to catch drunks.
All in all, let’s hope the drinking and revelry doesn’t liquidate our brains to make moronic decisions and drive after drinking. Happy new year, and please, please, ‘Do Not Drink and Drive’.
