Drink, Don’t Drive

There are several reasons why people drink. The possibilities vary from stress relief, to forgetting their problems temporarily, or just to match their favourite finger food with an alcoholic beverage. A wide range of alcohol drinks are available and their effects vary, depending on the content and the amount drank.

There is a cause for concern when one goes beyond the amount of alcohol he can handle. Drinking and driving is a recipe for disaster. This combination puts many innocent lives at jeopardy – from drivers to passengers and pedestrians. Our roads are safer for everyone with responsible drivers, be it chauffeurs, car owners or those that rent a car in Singapore.

Drinking, in moderate amounts and on its own poses little to no problems, driving under influence is the complete opposite. Drivers either fail to comprehend the consequences of their actions or dismiss the risks with a misjudged belief in their abilities after a few drinks. The truth is the lack of responsibility and the lack of sobriety make them a menace to the lives of others on the road.

In recent years, drink-driving accidents make up an alarmingly large percentage of road accidents in Singapore. Hence, Singapore Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have stepped up and implemented strict laws in hopes of resolving this matter. (Note: Underline – Meta tags)

To counter this issue, island-wide road block operations are conducted on a regular basis. In Singapore, there are two different types of alcohol limits set for motorists – 35 mcg of alcohol present in 100ml of your breath or 80mg of alcohol in every 100ml of blood. Those who fail to pass the examination can be fined between S$1,000 and S$30,000 and jailed up to three years with disqualification of their driving licenses for 12 to 48 months. These figures and the severity of the punishments illustrate the government’s staunch stance on drink driving.

Moreover, if a person is convicted of evading a road block, he is liable for a fine up to S$5,000 or jailed up to 12 months or charged with both. The spokesperson of the Singapore Traffic Police reiterated in an interview conducted by TODAY, “Members of public are advised to cooperate with police officers when approached during road blocks. Any evasion of a road block can potentially cause serious harm to other road users”.

Alcohol affects the body in many ways. For some, alcohol works as a depressant where a person’s reaction tends to be much slower than before consumption. It may also cause one to feel sleepy. These will impair judgement and hinder the ability to react in time, hence threatening lives. Drink drivers habitually justify their actions because they felt alright or because they felt that one glass of alcohol has little impact on them. That is a misguided belief arising from a sense of misplaced confidence.

Alternatively, there are various to avoid drinking and driving. If transportation is an issue after drinking, one should consider the following options beforehand.