Drinking and driving, like in many other countries, is a serious offence in Nepal. However, unlike other countries which have a blood alcohol concentration limit, Nepal has zero tolerance for drinking and driving.
"Drinking, even in small amounts and driving is prohibited by law in Nepal and is a serious offence," says Binod Singh, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.
In Nepal, drivers are tested for influence of alcohol with a breathalyzer and by a man´s natural instinct, his nose. And if found driving while intoxicated, the driver can be charged with public offence and can be fined anywhere between Rs 1000 and 5000. But breathalyzers are hardly seen being used during frequent traffic checks in the evenings.
There have been many advertisements and campaigns by various organizations to increase awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. However, people still get behind the wheel intoxicated. People are well aware of the situation but still drunk driving prevails in Kathmandu because everyone takes it for granted and cases of drunk driving are hardly filed unless a serious accident occurs like the ones in Ratna Park where six people were killed by a Honda City car and the accident in Lazimpat.
Drivers who are drunk are incapable of making quick decisions. Hence, drinking and driving has been one of the major causes of vehicle mishap, accidents, crashes, and collisions that have resulted in deaths and injuries of drivers and pedestrians alike.
However, some argue that, most accidents occur due to carelessness and the over excitement of the driver. Even if the driver has consumed very little alcohol, if the driver is extra alert, accidents can be reduced.
"People who are not drunk also cause accidents. Driving carefully and slowly is what matters, not whether the driver is drunk or not," complains 20-year-old Bunny Pal Singh. "I do sometimes, drink and drive.
However, I make sure that I drive my vehicle within my controllable speed," he adds.
It is also impossible to speed drive in the streets of Kathmandu because of the potholes, the interlaced foot path and the open manholes.
Alcohol intoxication affects the brain, causing slurred speech, clumsiness, and delayed reflexes. It is because of this delayed reflex that an individual is incapable of making quick decisions, which is an integral part of skillful driving. Moreover, drunken people are over confident and over excited. They tend to drive vehicles at high speeds which, with impaired reflexes, dramatically increase the chances of accidents.
"Though the affects of alcohol consumption varies from person to person and their tolerance (related to age, weight etc), for most, a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent will result in slowed reflexes - similar to not having slept even after a long day," says Dr Ganesh Bahadur Gurung, General Secretary at Physician for Social Responsibility, Nepal.
High consumption of alcohol results in loss of critical judgment, impairment of memory and perception, conclusively, loss in basic skills to operate a vehicle properly.
Traffic police have been practicing a number of awareness programs including counseling classes at school and college levels. This has resulted in less number of drivers caught for drinking and driving charges in recent months.
"Though the number of actual drunk driving may not have decreased, fewer accidents are taking place due to drunk driving in recent months. This may be because the drivers have become more aware of the risks of drunk driving," says Singh.
Drivers now tend to avoid driving when they are drunk. They usually ask their friends to drop them off, or hire a taxi.
"I know how dangerous it is to drink and drive. So, whenever I am at late night parties and drunk, I ask my friends to drive me off home or I sleep over my friend´s home," says Deepak.
However, sometimes when they have no other options but to drive themselves to their destination, the youth have become aware enough to drive slowly and carefully. Like Bunny, most drunk drivers now limit the speed of the vehicle and are extra alert.
"Actually, the cases of youth driving under the influence of alcohol have decreased. It is actually the diplomats and politicians who now tend to drink and drive more," exclaims DIG Singh.
Learning from the past experiences, the youth today seem to have been more alert while driving.
Fun is an integral part of life but it´s also vital to be careful about one´s life and life of pedestrians. One hit may cause a loss of life!
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