There are several reasons as to why people drink. There could be possibilities such as stress reliever, to forget their problems temporarily, or simply to match up with their favorite finger foods with an alcoholic beverage. Wide ranges of alcoholic drinks are widely available and the effects of these alcohols vary, depending on the content and the amount a person drinks. For the most part, drinking moderately or in smaller amounts that your body is able to tolerate is less likely to cause serious dangers.
However, the main concern arises when you go beyond the amount of alcohol you can handle. Drinking and driving are never and never will be a good combination, and this combination will only jeopardize many innocent lives. Be it the driver, the passengers, or even any motorists or pedestrians on the road. So, whether if you are driving your own car or you rent a car in Singapore, you should be mindful of your mental and physical state before you hit the road.
Drink Driving Dangers
It is perfectly fine to drink and there is nothing wrong with it. However, drink driving is. This is the common mistake and a selfish act, at that – by some drivers who fail to comprehend the consequences of their actions. The truth is the lack of responsibility and the lack of sobriety can make them a menace to the lives of other motorists on the road.
Innocent lives can be taken away just like that when one drinks excessively and still insists on driving. In recent years, drink-driving accidents took up a large percentage of road accidents in Singapore and this is truly alarming. Hence, Singapore Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are stepping up and implemented strict laws in hoping to resolve this alarming matter. (Note: Underline – Meta tags)
Understanding Singapore’s Drink Driving Penalties
In order to counter this issue, island-wide roadblocks operations are to be conducted on a regular basis. In Singapore, there are two different types of alcohol limits set for motorists – 35mcg of alcohol present in 100ml of your breath and 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 as well as disqualification of their driving licenses for 12 to 48 months. By simply looking at these numbers and the gravity of punishments, it is evident that drink driving is indeed a very serious offense
Moreover, if a person is convicted of evading a roadblock, he is liable to a fine up to S$5,000 or jailed up to 12 months or charged with both. The spokesperson of the Singapore Traffic Police mentioned during an interview conducted by TODAY, “Members of the public are advised to cooperate with police officers when approached during roadblocks. Any evasion of a roadblock can potentially cause serious harm to other road users”.
Even though there is a decline in drive driving incidents in the year 2017, with the number fell from 111 between January and September 2016 to 70 cases in the same period of the year. But, this should not be taken for granted. Every action has its own consequence. When one person is caught with a high amount of alcohol content in his breath, he should accept the consequence that comes with it. As such, it is essential to educate the public the seriousness of drink driving with the legal penalties attached to it, an attempt to encourage more responsible motorists on the road.
Be More Responsible While Behind the Wheel
Alcohol affects the body in many ways. To some, alcohol works as a depressant in which a person’s reaction tends to be much slower than before after consumption. Also, it causes one to feel sleepy. These two will impair your judgment and hinder the reaction time in which could be life-threatening. Drink drivers habitually justify their actions by assuming that they feel all right or they had only one glass of alcohol. There is a common understanding that excessive drinking leads to a number of health and personal consequences. Despite all that, many still failed to adhere. Singaporeans need to grasp this understanding and source for alternatives to counter this issue.
Ways to prevent drink driving
Alternatively, there are various ways in which one can avoid drinking and driving. If transportation is an issue after drinking, one can simply take up one of these alternatives as proposed.
- Plan in advance
Designation a valet driver is one of the alternatives to avoid drinking and driving. Make sure that this person is responsible for your safety and figure out who will be getting the person home before getting intoxication as excessive drinking will slow down the brain activity and decision-making skills. Or simply get a friend who doesn’t drink alcohol.
- Leave your car at home and take public transports
Knowing that one is out for drinking party, he/she should leave the car at home. Taxis are pretty visible at these drinking places so there won’t be any problems in getting home.
- Show up in style by engaging chauffeur driven services
This is a more extravagant and expensive option than the normal transportation or ride sharing services. Nonetheless, it could be a pleasurable and fancy way to stay safe and make sure that you have a ride home.
Conclusion
Drink and drive will only result in one thing – damages innocent lives. Insurance may cover your car but there is never enough money to replace a life. By having a clear understanding of the potential aftermath of this incident, one should be able to prevent and eliminate unnecessary complications. Ultimately, alcohol moderation is the way to go but the best is, drink and not drive.