Monday, July 30, 2007
No bail for Drunk Driving in some countries?
The state government is planning to add stringent provisions to the law to grant it more teeth in order to crack down on drunk driving. A proposal to make the necessary amendments would be sent to the Central government soon.
Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said that these measures would include making the offence non-bailable and increasing the fine to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment to 5 years, action against errant Road Transport Office (RTO) employees and even tests for driving licence holders from outside the state.
Patil was replying to a question by Sachin Ahir (NCP) and others in the state assembly on Monday about the increasing number of accidents on Palm Beach road in Navi Mumbai. Patil admitted that the current set of laws lacked teeth to deal with the problem. The state has seen 11,300 road accident deaths in a year and this number could go up as the number of vehicles on the road increases, he said. Also, an eight-day drive in Mumbai had netted 1975 drunk drivers and the situation could be worse in other areas.
However, under the current laws, drunk driving is a bailable offence with a fine of Rs 2,000 and/or jail for five months and hence, the drivers are able to get off by paying a fine. Hence, the state government was planning an amendment, which would make this a non-bailable offence, and increase the fines and the quantum of imprisonment.
“We need to change the laws considering the changing mindsets,” Patil added.
Patil admitted that getting a driving licence was easy and agents could procure them for people who were even unable to drive. The state government would also act against officials from the Road Transport Office (RTO) who granted licences to such people.
The state also saw people coming here with driving licences procured from outside Maharashtra. The state government would examine whether these licence holders from outside the state could be subject to separate tests.
The state government would also take a stand in favour of permanent cancellation of licences of the offenders, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said that these measures would include making the offence non-bailable and increasing the fine to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment to 5 years, action against errant Road Transport Office (RTO) employees and even tests for driving licence holders from outside the state.
Patil was replying to a question by Sachin Ahir (NCP) and others in the state assembly on Monday about the increasing number of accidents on Palm Beach road in Navi Mumbai. Patil admitted that the current set of laws lacked teeth to deal with the problem. The state has seen 11,300 road accident deaths in a year and this number could go up as the number of vehicles on the road increases, he said. Also, an eight-day drive in Mumbai had netted 1975 drunk drivers and the situation could be worse in other areas.
However, under the current laws, drunk driving is a bailable offence with a fine of Rs 2,000 and/or jail for five months and hence, the drivers are able to get off by paying a fine. Hence, the state government was planning an amendment, which would make this a non-bailable offence, and increase the fines and the quantum of imprisonment.
“We need to change the laws considering the changing mindsets,” Patil added.
Patil admitted that getting a driving licence was easy and agents could procure them for people who were even unable to drive. The state government would also act against officials from the Road Transport Office (RTO) who granted licences to such people.
The state also saw people coming here with driving licences procured from outside Maharashtra. The state government would examine whether these licence holders from outside the state could be subject to separate tests.
The state government would also take a stand in favour of permanent cancellation of licences of the offenders, he said.
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 3:13 PM 
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