Dip in drunk driving on NYE is heartening

A report released to welcome the New Year revealed a notable drop in drunk driving cases compared to previous years. On December 31st, only 283 instances of intoxicated driving were recorded in the city, showing a substantial decline from the 700 cases in 2019, and 615 and 567 cases in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Besides, fines were imposed on 1,119 parking violations, 1,090 helmetless riders, 310 traffic signal jumpers, 299 seatbelt non-compliant drivers, 107 overfilled vehicles, and 271 refusing rickshaw and taxi drivers.

An official from the police control room stated that no significant major accidents occurred, and lesser drunk driving cases were recorded. According to a traffic police officer, many rather opted for hired drivers, easing the police force as people complied more with the law. This certainly sets a positive tone as we step into January.

We hope to see a similar decrease in other road-related infractions such as accidents, reckless and wrong-side driving aligned to the declining drunk driving trend. Traffic authorities could leverage these statistics in public service ads to advocate this pattern. A downward trend in other aspects implies Mumbai is progressing in the right direction, embracing sober driving.

Importantly, the role of citizens in achieving this has been vital. While punishment enforcement is handled by the police, prevention largely relies on citizens. It was encouraging to see people choosing cabs over self-driving. Aside from alcohol, drivers being fatigued and drowsy after staying up all night can also pose risks to themselves, passengers, and pedestrians.

We join in raising a toast, albeit with juice, to this reduction in figure. Our message to Mumbai - To maintain this positive trend, keep sober and stay on the road.