Karnataka Pubs to Get Breathalysers to Help Curb Drunk Driving

Customers will now be able to analyse for themselves if they are sober enough to drive back home.

Deciding if a person is sober enough (or not) to drive back home from a bar will soon become easier.

A new initiative being launched by the Karnataka state government, in association with cab aggregator Ola, will help people in deciding the best course of action, as reported by The Times of India.

Under RISK (Road safety Initiative for a Safe Karnataka), nearly 1,000 bars and pubs across the state will install breath analysers, which will help customers decide if they can drive back home or if they have consumed more than the permissible drinking limit.

UT Khader, the Food and Civil Supplies minister inaugurated one such facility at a pub on Church Street on Thursday.

He said that self-assessment was better than being assessed by a policeman.

In my personal opinion, nobody should drink. But, even if one consumes alcohol, he or she should not indulge in driving, which could inconvenience others or even put them in danger.

UT Khader

Maruthi Sambrani, Joint Commissioner (transport) said that of the 1.7 crore automobiles in the state, 65 lakh of them were in Bengaluru.

So, such initiatives will help prevent accidents.

Maruthi Sambrani

Transport department’s data reveals that of the 55,651 traffic violation cases referred to by police April 2014 and June 2016, drunken driving cases wherein licenses were cancelled were 25,574. Over 21,000 were related to traffic violations.

Raghuvesh Sarup, CMO of Ola said: "Over 1,000 pubs, bars and restaurants have agreed to join the initiative, which will not only ensure a safe ride back home, but also make roads safer."

Dilip Patro, who sustained a broken neck in a decade-old accident involving a drunk teenager in Mumbai, opined that those who drink alcohol should refrain from driving.

This will ensure their personal safety, and not jeopardise others on the road. More than half of the cases of spine injuries are largely a result of drunken driving accidents.

Dilip Patro

Source: The Times of India