In a unique yet innovative step, tipsy drivers of the Capital will now be threatened of dire consequences by the Yamraj himself stating: Your Time Has Not Yet Come.
In a move to ensure that the festive season does not unleash a host of inebriated drivers on the roads, the watering holes in the city will flash Yamraj posters with slogans to prevent drunk driving. To provide assistance to plastered drivers, the posters will also display a phone number to call a driver-for-hire service to get home safer. For the campaign, Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) has already held talks with pub and bar owners in the city.
“The posters with Yamraj’s face will bear slogans to make pub crawlers aware of the repercussions of drunken driving. The concept has been successful in other States as the God of Death is considered ominous. The innovative exercise will start by next week, well ahead of the festive season,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Anil Shukla.
The Traffic Police is quite hopeful that awareness along with prosecutions will be able to curb cases of drunken driving in the city, which see a significant rise ahead of the festivities in the city. “The idea is to send across the message that people are free to celebrate without hurting themselves or their fellow road users. Instances of motorists driving rashly due to high spirits are common, which is not only dangerous for the ones behind the wheel, but others too,” ACP Shukla added.
Till September 30 this year, 21,000 would be prosecuted for drunken driving. Of these, 14,000 people have been penalised for the offence and vehicles have been seized in 7,400 cases. This apart, Traffic Police have arrested 8,000 drivers, driving licence of 530 drivers suspended and 3,000 other drivers have been awarded jail term till September this year.