[sgiitk]

I am all for responsible drinking (no driving as far as possible). The fact of the matter is that only a very small percentage of people in our country drink responsibly.

The best (or worst) is if you drive from Chandigarh towards Dalhousie. The border is crossed umpteen times, with God knows how many shops advertising, that they are cheaper than across the border!

[speedsatya]

On one trip from sabarimalai to Bangalore,I saw our bus driver having 2-3 large pegs of whisky at Ernakulam.I thought probably the other driver will take over and this guy would be sleeping for the night.

When I entered the bus,I was like :O.There was no spare driver!!!!!!! Nevertheless I had no option but to pray and sleep.

And ..I dont see how banning wine-shops /bars will solve the problem of drink n drive..it might help reduce it to some extent.People who drink and drive can always get booze from the origin of travel or they can take a detour to get some booze.

Only a stricter law and sensible drivers can help reduce this hazard

[4x4addict]

I feel it will be okay if they also sell auto parts in the liquor store on highways.

Jokes apart, I think it traditionally has been a practice to have bars dotting the highways...

But there are so many things wrong in our highways that I feel liquor shops are the least of my worries. Poorly trained drivers are a bigger concern for me. On my recent trip to Bangalore and back, I had to slam the brakes on numerous occasions since the truck going at 22.5 kmph decided to move into my lane to overtake the truck going at 22.75 kmph in the last minute. They had absolutely no regard to the fact that I was doing 120 in a vehicle known for it's poor handling :-). Frankly when doing 120+ in a Scorpio and dodging truck drivers, I have no time to cuss out liquor shops dotting our highways. I just try to stay alive..

[adzegeek]

4x4, poorly trained drunk driver is double whammy - add to this sleep deprivation and a sniff of unmentionables that they take in to ensure that they fight off the sleep - recipe for disaster.

I did rather accept poorly trained driver only without the rest of adjectives.

Cheers.

[Daewood]

drinking and driving is more dangerous inside the city limits than on highways.

The number of people affected will be more inside the city limits than on highways. Drinking and driving should be dealt with firmly without differentiating between highways and city roads.

Blaming the Liquor shops is not right. It is the irresponsible drivers who need to be dealt with firmly.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by Daewood

Blaming the Liquor shops is not right. It is the irresponsible drivers who need to be dealt with firmly.

+1 to that. And the law needs to be changed. You drink and drive and kill some one, you should get double the punishment you get for culpable homicide. I say hang 'em twice!
But law in India is warped. We have many people who are at large even after running over 10 - 15 people driving drunk!
Back in US, DUI is a crime with immediate imprisonment. The last place anyone likes to visit in US is a Penitentiary.

[adzegeek]

The 2008 accidental death numbers from NCRB are out (finally- hopefully in after CCTNS goes live, these statistics will be monthly or on demand). Some key points

- Lorries and two wheeler occupants have highest fatality rates - of the total deaths in India lorry occupant and two wheeler occupants account for 21.2% and 19.9%

- there are no root cause of accident but plenty of stats available for someone to figure out when to drive, in what to drive, where to drive to lower the chances of being involved in accident

However, coming back to drinking and driving - I dont think Govt is going to do anything to make it difficult for people to get a drink - it is the main source of revenue for them and the whole ecosystem. This arguably falls in the type of measure our Govt(s) like to take - for example Men rape women at beaches - ban the bikinis. But it aint gonna happen.


Maybe it is better to get alcho-locks installed that will just not start the engine in case the driver does not pass the breath test . Like speed governers this may turn out to a huge lifesaver.

alternatively raise the cost of alchohol to 5000 Rs/pint - that will solve the oil subsidy issue and make it a luxury item not within reach of drivers.

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by adzegeek

Maybe it is better to get alcho-locks installed that will just not start the engine in case the driver does not pass the breath test . Like speed governers this may turn out to a huge lifesaver

alternatively raise the cost of alchohol to 5000 Rs/pint - that will solve the oil subsidy issue and make it a luxury item not within reach of drivers.

I am ok with the bikini thing, but i dont think people would be amused reading the other 2 suggestions

Pramod

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by Nitin

have random checks and enforce a heavy penalty on those who drink and drive. When will that happen in India, God alone knows!

Exactly, when it will happen in India ?

Originally Posted by DieselAddikt

It attracts people who do not intent to drink otherwise.

Don't really agree, if a guy wants to drink and drive they will.
Agreed, the boards don't help the cause.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

According to the law, its illegal to have road side wine shops on national highways. The law is clear cut, its just that there is no enforcement.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Also, I think there is a High Court judgement banning speed bumps on National Highways!

So is speeding, smoking in public, riding without helmet and all that.
Simple fact is people can and will do it as long as there is not way to "wiggle" out from the cops.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I am all for responsible drinking (no driving as far as possible).

Designated driver policy is good. Drinking a driving is irresponsible so there is no point calling it responsible drinking. So you should be saying "no driving after drinking" be it a bottle of the stuff or a sip of the stuff.

Originally Posted by Daewood

drinking and driving is more dangerous inside the city limits than on highways.

Its like saying shooting with a Bazooka inside the city is bad and on highway its ok.

I had my fair share of encounters with the "drunk".
Last year I was staying at a house 12kms from office. There are 2 possible routes both dotted with liquor shops. One road is arrow straight the other is a 2 lane city street. Cops are "vigilant" enforcing the law at 1pm in the blazing sun. At night when the drunken morons are around they are not even near the area. So there is law enforcement for you.

I've been stopped by drunk cops at 6pm in the evening near Anna Nagar.
The "cop" took 200 out of my wallet waved me adios.
I placed a complaint mentioning the names of the cops, nothing happened.
Nothing ever will in our country.

[V-16]

I dont think theres a problem with that. As they say, "Peene walon ko peene ka bahana chaiye" (those who drink just need an excuse to do so)

Im sure you found the shop near or in some town. Random liquor shops are not allowed on desolate areas until they are in the form of bars in a restaurant. How can one stop that. Its ones constitutional right to do business anywhere.

This is like saying, one gets usually mugged at night so no one is allowed to move out in the night.

Removing shops from the highways would tantamount to a kind of prohibition. Then there are national highways running through the heart of cities too. What would one do there? Then you would have to restrict the string of hotels and restaurants on the highway from selling liquor too, what the heck, ban booze in the entire state, why even the entire country.

Result: Bootleggers, clandestine illegal wine stores and shops, black marketing, etc etc.

Statistics will prove that wherever prohibited, the availability of liquor is as rampant as any other normal place. See Gujarat for instance. at the place i stayed in Vapi, the garage below used to sell liquor to the hotel guys for the rooms. He even had a damn fridge to stock these things.

I think if you are old enough to vote and drive then you are old enough to know these things. Thats like saying abolish vehicles because more people die in vehicular related accidents in India than of natural causes.

I am not an advocate for llquor and last for drink and drive but i say, let them be. Educate them on the ills and then enforce the law fiercely.

See the outcome of the drunk driving menace in Bombay as an example. Today in a few months, i know no person who wants to sit behind the wheel even after consuming a glass of wine or beer. Thats the way to go. Be so ruthless in the execution of the law that no one is spared. For Highways, let it pass through a city or town or wherever, the fine and penalty should be double let the guy who is driving drunk have his license confiscated at the first instance instead of the third or the second i think. I think its time one comes down hard with the hammer on this.

[Mpower]

I've heard that many truck drivers booze and drive (regular basis) just to kill boredom and reduce fatigue.

Originally Posted by yzfrj

Don't really agree, if a guy wants to drink and drive they will.
Agreed, the boards don't help the cause.

Yes those are the addicts and the desperate ones.

But if you make it harder for a guy to get booze he is likely to not drink. If its openly available and convinient, then he might say 'why not try'

Solution may not be outright ban, because like V16 said the crooks and bootleggers step in. Combination of serious crackdown+highwaytax+education??

[Sinner666]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

According to the law, its illegal to have road side wine shops on national highways. The law is clear cut, its just that there is no enforcement.

Did not think my first post would be on a topic related to alcohol, lol
The person who framed the above law should come and see Gurgaon then. The moment NH-8 enters Gurgaon, it would be greeted with wine shops at almost each and every intersection. In fact, I do not happen to recall any intersection on the NH-8 without a wine shop. As if the shops were not enough, adjacent boards advertise what is locally called an AHATA(a place to drink) with boards proclaiming "Govt Approved Drinking Place".

[D4D]

Found this thread.

1. A recent drive to Lapakshi indicated the number of wine shops on NH7. People are even employed to stand and wave to customers.

2. Same observation(as above) on my way to Chitradurga. On the Tumkur road, before GQ becomes fenced.

3. In a night drive to Tirupati, few shop owners in KA seem to be more active in selling Alcohol.

Highway side is the last place for one to have a wine shop. I think it's time the government bans these shops.

[avira_tk]

I think it's high time people stop asking for more restrictions from the government, liquor is a legal, if heavily regulated industry. Just because some people lack self control we needn't agitate to have cops get even more unrestricted access to our cars to check for drunken driving. What will we demand next, serving rice items on the highways to be banned as you are likely to overeat and fall asleep? Or serve bad food to prevent overeating?

The road to hell is paved good intentions, you can't legislate virtue. The location of the vendor has no relationship with consumption. I can't believe someone driving decides to drink just because he sees a billboard, someone like that needs treatment because he is a dependant alcoholic, no liquor shop relocation law can help, I guess people should stop this kind of hyperbole, you are just advertising your ignorance.

It's strange that a forum centred around the joys of private car ownership had so many threads and members agitating for more big brother bear hugs when we live in a country where bad law enforcement is just racketeering in uniform.

[atnyia]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

What will we demand next, serving rice items on the highways to be banned as you are likely to overeat and fall asleep? Or serve bad food to prevent overeating?

I guess people should stop this kind of hyperbole, you are just advertising your ignorance.
.

I think you have got a blind spot or something.
Man, rice and liquor! How can you even fathom this comparison? Food isn't liquor and vice versa. Food can make you drowsy but it doesn't affect your sensory ability to judge or react. Do you even understand what is intoxication?
What's the purpose of selling liquor on highways?
There is a reason for which tobacco shops are not allowed near schools and colleges. To make access difficult. Same is the reason why court ordered relocation of all liquor shops from NH 1. Drunk driving is a real menace and while it is not possible to fine each drunk driver but at least access can be made slightly more difficult.

I certainly wouldn't like heavily drunk guys driving in proximity of my car.

Dear mods, this is a highly irresponsible post by one of our members.