A national body is required to coordinate between the health, police and transport sectors so as to safeguard road users from drunken drivers, said David Silcock, CEO of Global Road Safety Programme.

Briefing mediapersons on the occasion of the launch of a manual on drinking and driving at the end of  a two-day consultation workshop, Silcock said, “None of these departments can work in isolation to solve a problem like drunken driving, which has far reaching socio-economic consequences.” He also urged the departments concerned to build up on the synergy with the global partners like the World Bank and WHO. The meet also listed a set of recommendations to be submitted to the government to improve road safety.

 Andrew Downing, adviser to GPRS, said the private sector had to shoulder greater responsibility to tackle the issue. “Private cabs that ferry employees can serve as a start-up point,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the administration, Bhaskar Rao, Deputy IGP, agreed that enforcement of existing laws was the biggest problem. Education programmes organised by the department focused on the increasing number of accidents caused due to driving on roads in an inebriated state, he said. “This is to jolt the drivers about the repercussions on drinking on the job,” he added.

The problem needed a humane approach as the losses cannot always be quantified, opined Dr Gururaj, HoD of Epidemiology. “Death figures, though alarming, do not cover the agony of a family’s loss and a survivor’s suffering.”

HOW to do it?
*Creating awareness about problems related to drinking and driving.
*Improving data on alcohol-related crashes
*Providing sufficient blood/breath testing equipment to police
*Establishing national prosecution guidelines for drunken driving.
*Creating well-targeted publicity campaign for sufficient periods.
*Developing uniform guidelines with regard to sale of alcohol.
*Improving medical care and rehabilitation for victims.