Stop Drunk Driving: 'Bars should hire taxis'

In response to the incident of a young Mumbai woman killing two people in a suspected case of drinking while driving early on Saturday morning, we asked readers to send us suggestions on what young people must do to stop such tragedies that destroy lives.

Get Ahead readers Yatindra, Raphael Joseph, Dion Fernandes, Vijay Somasundaram and Viplav Deshpande wrote with their valuable suggestions.

If implemented these could surely help save a few lives to say the least:

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Yatindra: We need to act like responsible citizens

According to me there ought to be a stricter law for the offenders. For instance imprisonment for longer duration and also a heavy fine as this is a culpable offence. The accused should not be let off easily.

• To avoid such a scenario in the first place, the television, magazine, etc must show ads about drinking and driving so that the people would thinking over a hundred times before they get behind the wheel when intoxicated.
• The traffic police should also have proper 'working' breathalyzers so that they can nab the person before something tragic can occur.
• All of this is a waste of time if we as responsible citizens do not take the onus and have self control and show some responsiblity. Someone's life depends on us!

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Dion Fernandes: Offenders should pay heavily   

Drunk drivers really should not be allowed to possess a license to drive, so the license should be cancelled after the first such incident. If the driver shows no remorse for killing, as this recent one, he/she should be made to transfer all the
funds in his/her personal savings/account to the aggrieved parties.

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Vijay Somasundaram: Bars should have a taxi service

The pubs and bars should hire or purchase taxis just like what hospitals do for ambulances, and ensure appointing a driver who is a teetotaller.

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Raphael Joseph: Display photos of such accidents prominently

A few years ago, there was an accident near Worli (Mumbai) where the car was split into two pieces. Such was the impact of the accident. These kind of gory photos should be enlarged like the 70mm screens that we see in the movies and placed as hoardings at important junctions where vehicular traffic is high like and there should be some powerful sentences/ slogans/ messages that will make the drivers think twice before driving drunk, such as:

• Nobody lived to tell the story.
• The car split into 2, but his mother's heart was shattered.
• Don't let your body become a bottle of alcohol when you drive.

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Viplav Deshpande: Make offeneders stand outside bars as community service

For people caught drunk driving, teach them a lesson that they will never forget. The punishment should involve all the following.

• Cancel licence
• Confiscate/ impound vehicle
• Send them to jail and/or make an example out of them for others by making them do community service wearing uniforms that sport "I was caught drunk driving and this is my punishment". Community service could include making these people stand outside pubs and bars at night with these messages written on thier clothes; and traffic duty.

To educate people, a full-fledged ad campaign educating people about the hazards, punishments and results of drunken driving in all metros in all media should be undertaken. If celebs can be roped in then all the better.

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Reader invite

Share with us your suggestions on how we can eliminate drunken driving among young Indians and how we can bring safety to self and others on the road.

Write in to getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject line -- Stop drunk driving today! -- and we will publish them, right here. We want to hear from you!