Drink driving on Holi will land you in jail

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Avoid alcohol if you are planning to drive back from a party this Sunday. For, drink driving on Holi day can land you in jail. What's more, the Delhi traffic police authorities have also decided to suspend driving licences of people booked for drink driving for at least six months.  "This time, driving in drunken condition would not be settled for Rs 2,000. Violators will face a jail term," warned Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic). The police have a tough day controlling motorists on Holi when there is usually a two-to-three-fold increase in the number of fatal accidents.

Last year, 15 people were killed in road accidents on Holi against the daily average of five fatalities. "We want this mortality rate to drop this year," said Garg.

In cases of drink driving, it is the court that decides the jail term. It can be for a day or up to even two weeks. There is a provision of imprisoning drunk drivers under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, under which the court has already sent over 400 people to jail since August 2010.

The entire traffic police force of 5,000 men will be on the road on Sunday. Of them, about 400 men with breatalysers will check and punish drink drivers.

Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Drink-driving-on-Holi-will-land-you-in-jail/Article1-673920.aspx