Role of Alcohol in Accident
Impairment by alcohol is an important factor in causing accidents and in increasing the consequences of the same. From various studies conducted in low income countries, it has been found that alcohol was present in between 33% and 69% of fatally injured drivers, and in between 8% and 29% of drivers involved in crashes who were not fatally injured. Drivers and motor cyclists with any level of BAC greater than zero are at higher risk of a crash than those whose BAC is zero.
With increasing BAC levels, the risk being involved in a crash starts to rise significantly at a BAC of 40 mg for 100 ml of blood. In experience, young/adults with BAC above zero have 2.5 times the risk of crash compared with more experience drivers.
A study on drivers killed in road crashes has revealed that teenage drivers have more than 5 times the risk of a crash compared with drivers aged 30 and above, at all level of BAC. Drivers 22 to 29 years old were estimated to have 3 times the risk compared with drivers aged 30 years and above, at all BAC levels.
Alcohol consumption by drivers puts pedestrians and riders of motorized two wheelers at risk.
Any person under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle found to have an alcohol level exceeding 30 mg per 100 ml of blood detected by a breath analyzer, shall be:
• Punished for the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend upto 6 months or a fine upto Rs.2,000/- or both, and
• For a subsequent offence committed within 3 yeas of the previous offence, with imprisonment which may extend to 2 years or fine upto Rs.3,000/- or both.  |