Drunken driving: Chennithala warns stern action will be taken
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Thrivauanthapuram: Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has issued a stern warning that drunken driving will not be permitted for any reason in the state. He drew attention to the stark reality that in the two days when Keralam police conducted vehicle inspection, a whopping 10,000 drivers were found to be drunk during driving.
The minister said that the government would resort to stringent action against the trend, including cancelling driving licence as per Motor Vehicles rules.
"Behind all the recent accidents in the state, the cause was narcotics and liquor. There needs to be an end to driving under the influence of intoxicants. Police will take strict action against it. Think of it: if the police had to arrest over 10,000 people for drunken driving, how serious is such a situation in the state? Therefore, not a single individual should be allowed to drive while under the influence of liquor or drug. Police have been given strict instruction to this effect", Chennithala added.
He said that for this reason, all over Keralam, the police is inspecting whether alcohol or narcotic were used by drivers and sought people's co-operation in this drive. Coming days are of the festival season; therefore for any reason, no one will be allowed to drive intoxicated. In most other countries, this has been brought under control through strong legislation. In addition the drivers losing their lives, their vehicles are crushed, and the innocent people hit die for the same reason.
He cited the case of the recent road accident in Nedumbrassery in which three precious lives were lost. They were killed by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver, which amounts to murder. One cannot allow this to happen in our state and police have been given appropriate direction to act all over the state. Whatever preventive action is possible under the law will be taken. The minister said that he would give a warning that the police will be forced to go to the extreme action of denying licence for a second time after it is repealed once.
In most other countries, if one is drink he will hardly venture to drive. But here however much one has drunk, any one feels free to drive a vehicle, a situation that can never be allowed. And there will be stern action against it, the minister warned.