Law of the spirit

A new rule to impound the licenses of those driving under the influence (DUI) on the spot in Chennai has been introduced.  I'm sure, as with any law, the intentions are noble. But I have my own doubts if this rule will serve anything more than providing the traffic cops with yet another avenue to make a quick buck. 

There are 4 possible scenarios: 

1. Rich drunk kid stopped by a dishonest cop

2. Rich drunk kid stopped by an honest cop

3. Tipsy Average Joe stopped by a dishonest cop 

4. Tipsy Average Joe stopped by an honest cop

Scenario 1 and 2: The usual suspects of drunk driving are the page 3 regulars: the uber rich, the popular, the well connected and their under-aged progeny. This is confirmed by the fact that the East Coast Road (ECR), a popular destination to get high thanks to numerous pubs, bars and private retreats, has been chosen as a point of focus. If one of them gets stopped for drunk driving, the chances are that they will be let go following a couple of calls to the right folks, with may be even an apology from the cops who committed the mistake of stopping them. Ask the survivors of any high profile DUI case involving fatalities. And there are quite a few of them. 

Scenario 3: In the event that Joe Average gets caught, it is more likely that a "plea bargain" would ensue and tipsy Mr.Joe will soon be on his way after parting with a tidy sum that would be a simple function of the mood of the cop, weight of the wallet and the brand of the car. 

Scenario 4: In the least likely event that Mr. Honest Cop picks up an inebriated Average Joe and actually ends up impounding the license, I dare say that it amounts to almost nothing. One can easily drive during decent hours without a license for any period of time and there is always a price for nearly everything in the thriving alternate system. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that nearly everyone has a laminated color photocopy of their license which looks and feels like the original. An impounded ration card has more deterrence value than an impounded driver's license. 

There are laws and there is enforcement. And often times, the best of the laws take a stumble at implementation. We have strict laws against every known crime and there hasn't been a dip in crime rate as a consequence. Deterrence has little value if it comes attached with a price tag. There is no need to prevent drinking and there is little that can be done against the corrupt police force. A more sensible follow up action would be to prevent drunk people from getting behind the wheel. The bars and pubs should provide compulsory designated driver services to their clients. The cops can enforce this at the bars themselves. While integrating a breath analyzer to the ignition on all cars is somewhere in the future, this can be implemented in the high-risk heavy vehicles initially with some method to prevent sober accomplices blowing into it on behalf of the stoned driver. A third step is to create awareness among high school and college students about the dangers of DUI. As for dishonest cops, drown your sorrows in a drink. And stay home.