Drink, but drive responsibly. That is the message the city police are sending out to party-goers on the New Year eve.
Driving back home after having a peg too many can often be risky. City Police Commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji has advised citizens to “drink responsibly” or to make transport arrangements in advance to avoid finding themselves in an embarrassing situation.
Praveen Sood, Additional Director-General of Police (Computer Wing), said the permissible limit of alcohol was 30 mg in 100 ml of blood. However, the driver would be fined only if he/she was found to have more than 40 mg in 100 ml of blood. “This is because the alcohol testing meter may not show accurate reading at any time,” he added.
Mr. Sood said the alcohol content in a bottle of beer or a peg of whisky, rum or other forms of alcohol would be within the permissible limit. It might also depend on factors such as gender and physique of the person.
Also, if a person consumes alcohol over a period of two to three hours and not at one go, then even two or three bottles of beer would still come under the permissible limit. The person should not remain hungry for long, as the alcohol consumed on an empty stomach would mix with the blood faster if it was not digested along with food, he added.
Citizens could also follow the concept of a ‘designated driver’, where one member of the group could avoid consuming alcohol so that he/she could drive them back home.
“When one is spending so much for the party, it makes sense to spend a little extra to hire a taxi or make alternative arrangements in advance,” Mr. Sood said.
If a driver is caught for consuming alcohol above the permissible limit, the vehicle will be seized and the driver will have to make use of public transport to return home. He/she may call friends, relatives or acquaintances, or taxi services which are available anytime.
Though taxi services are ready to operate round the clock, they too request citizens to make bookings in advance to accommodate their demands.
Zeeshan Ahmed from Dzire Drive, who runs a facility called ‘Rent-a-driver’, said,
“We have already received over 100 calls for bookings on December 31.”
Dinesh Kumar of DK Travel Solutions said people should book for their services at least four hours in advance.
Citizens can contact DK Travel Solutions on 09343345010 and Dzire Drive on 94499 87140, +91-80-6534 3434
