And accidents have found their way easier on our streets, primarily because of drunk-driving. Majority of the accidents the streets of Kathmandu witness is a result of drunk-driving and as a response, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) have started their Anti-Drunk Driving Campaign.[break]
As a result of this campaign, accidents at night seem to be down by a whopping 70% according to the MTPD’s records. Although, the MTPD only has 8-10 breathalyzers currently, the division is seeking 300 more to crack down on perpetrators. Presently, the traffic police have been administering checks manually by smelling driver’s breaths. DIG Ganesh Rai of MTPD says traffic police around the Valley have, on average, 3400 drunk-drivers till date. Violators caught for the first time have to pay a fine of NRS 1,000 but if they get caught the second time, the violators are sent to jail and have to appear before a court of law and fight a legal case. First time offenders will also have to attend a one and half hour orientation class including various clips of drunk-driving accidents, traffic reports and an interactive session on how drunk-driving is bad. The traffic police are working on a zero-tolerance basis.
“Drunk-driving has started becoming a culture here, it’s casual for drivers to drink heavy and still drive back home,” says Rai. “The youngsters are primarily to blame, they drink heavy and ride their bikes recklessly which results in very dangerous road accidents. Road accidents have a very big part to play in our country’s death rate and it’s about time we did something about it,” he adds.
The campaign, however, seems to be affecting local businesses as well. According to a report published in a recent article in this newspaper, 40% of local restaurants and bars seem to be losing their business as a result of the Campaign. These party-goers have started organizing parties at home rather than going out and even social drinkers have started to avoid drinking alcohol. The concept of a designated driver also does not seem to be a viable option for these youngsters.
“We always go out in a group and drink as a group, it does not feel right to drink and single out a few of our friends because they have to drop us home,” says 18 year-old Subash Lama who is currently working as a freelance DJ. “If even a single one of my friends has to drive back home, we all decide not to drink and when we do, we make sure we all are going home in a taxi,” he adds.
But rules are meant to be broken and these youngsters find ways around these rules, no matter how good they maybe for the society. Young minds are brimming with ideas that can help them avoid these check-points. One of the main problems could be the many alleyways that make up the Kathmandu city, as many traffic check points are situated on main roads, drunk-drivers could easily follow these hidden roads and get away with it.
“Drunk-drivers will, definitely, travel by the narrow alleyways to avoid these check-points,” says 18 year-old Prayash Raj Koirala, a graduate of A-levels from Chelsea International Academy who is a teetotaler. “It’s not the rules that change people, these rules are only there to guide people and it’s up to them to honestly accept it. When people change from the rules, society can change for the better,” he adds.
The MTPD, along with the government, has been working to make roads and traveling a safer experience. With the removal of the concrete dividers, with the widening of roads and now with this campaign against drunk-driving, traveling has turned safer. Prayash loves the new metal dividers, “it makes me feel safe,” he says.
The implementation of breathalyzers also comes as a sigh of relief to the traffic police. Manually checking alcohol level by smelling driver’s breaths can be a very frustrating. Drunk-drivers, since these traffic police have no proof of their alcohol level, seem to argue and cause problems to the traffic police. Since these traffic personnel will have proof of the amount of alcohol these drivers are under the influence of, it makes their jobs easier.
“We have problems where people argue with us and cause many problems but the implementation of breathalyzers make it easier to point out how much alcohol they have had,” says traffic personnel, Mohandeep Bhatta who was posted at the Thamel check point on Jan 27. “There are always these rowdy youngsters that drink a lot and ride their bike like the devil is after them and that causes many accidents, many deaths and this helps control all of that. It provides relief to family members of these children,” he informs.
Despite acting like a wet blanket for the party animals of the capital, the significant drop in the number of accidents reflects that these traffic safety rules are working. The campaign against drunk driving seems to have affected people in different ways. There has been a reduction in the amount of alcohol consumption, affecting addiction or even to some extent, crime. Families of young children can heave a sigh of relief knowing that they’re sons and daughters are safe travelling at night. Sometimes a small rule or a campaign can affect people and society in a positive way that changes the way it functions and if implemented well, this campaign against drunk-driving could change various other aspects of society.
“People have started ignoring rules and doing whatever they feel like,” says 25 year-old Shree Krishna Pandey, Executive Director of New York Cargo, Thamel adding, “There are different factors in life that these youngsters don’t understand. They don’t understand how family members worry if their children don’t come home on time and this affects them psychologically. I admire what these traffic police are doing and support it with all my heart.”
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