Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 5
Nagaland, ‘sober’ since 1990, had the highest accidents due to ‘Drunken Driving’ or driving under the influence (DUI) among the smaller states in India in 2017, according to data provided in the Parliament on July 4.
As per the data, based on the information received from police department of States/UTs, Nagaland presented a whopping 7750 percent increase in DUI cases between 2015 and 2017 (2 in 2015, 157 in 2017).
The percentage change from 2016 to 2017 (13-157) was also 1107.69%.
After Assam (373), Nagaland had the highest accidents attributed to ‘drunken driving,’ followed by Meghalaya at 132 cases in the North East.
All other NE states had double digit figures, with the lowest being Tripura at 11 cases in 2017.
The information, given by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, did not specify the reasons behind the drastic jump in the number of accidents.
The state has been ‘dry’ nearly 3 decades since the passing of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989, which received the assent of the Governor of Nagaland on April 13, 1990 and came into force on December 1, the same year.
A state transport official last year informed a road safety seminar in Kohima that Nagaland registered 1432 vehicular accidents in 2016 and 2017, causing 956 injuries and 122 fatalities.
As per record of the department, while there were 736 accidents causing 501 injuries and 59 deaths in 2016, the number of accidents declined slightly by 5.5% to 696 in 2017. The number of injured also decreased by 9% at 455 injuries, but fatality rose by 6% with official records of 63 deaths in 2017.
Overall, there were 14, 071 ‘Road accidents due to Alcohol’ in India, denoting 3 percent share of road accidents in 2017, out of the total 4,64,910 cases.
Uttar Pradesh headed the figure with 3336 in 2017, followed by 2064 in Andhra Pradesh and 1833 in Tamil Nadu. Bihar and Lakshadweep had Zero cases, with the latter registering the same figure for three years in a row.
If the data was any indication, in Bihar, where liquor prohibition came into effect on April 1, 2016, drastic change was observed with DUI cases in the state dropping from 1457 in 2015, 593 in 2016 and nil in 2017.
Measures implemented by Union Government
The MoRTH Minister told the Lok Sabha that the Government has initiated many measures to curb drunken driving.
Among others, all the State Government/UTs have been requested to ensure that no license is issued to liquor vendors along National Highways and review cases where licence has already been given.
The Ministry has also undertaken campaigns through print and electronic media to spread awareness about the dangers of drunken driving, Gadkari informed.
Instructions have been given to all State Governments to invoke Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which provides for punishment of imprisonment or fine or both for the offence of drunken driving, he added.
The MoRTH has also provided financial assistance to States for procurement of breath-analysers.
