Cops to be trained in controlling drunk driving

HYDERABAD: Enforcing laws and educating people are the only solutions to prevent drunken driving accidents and this has been proved in many countries where using latest instruments which record evidence, policemen are able to check the menace, said Des Myers, former chief inspector, Victoria Police, Australia. Myers is in the city to provide training to traffic police as part of the Global Road Safety Partnership in collaboration with the World Health Organisation.Myers, who worked for Victoria Police for 27 years as chief inspector (commissioner of police rank) is an experienced police trainer in general and a specialist in traffic policing.Since 1998, he has been provided police management training in 17 countries including United States, Canada, South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Poland, Russia and Thailand. “While the number of road accidents are reported due to drunken driving by four-wheelers from Western countries, the accidents ratio is doubled in emerging countries like India where two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles are involved in accidents.Hyderabad also stands top in such cases and that is why it has been selected as part of the GRSP initiative,’’ explained Des Myers.He said he would train traffic police in trends in international road safety management, drink driving laws, challenges in drunk driving enforcement, principles of effective enforcement, safe check point operations and training in breath testing devices.Dangerous driving 574 two-wheelers and 571 four-wheelers involved in road accidents up to Sept 2011 n 9,380 drunk driving cases reported up to Sept 2011 n Cases of drunk driving increase during weekends with Saturday figures at 290 and Sundays with 312 cases n 316 accused are youngsters between 25-30 years, 292 between 20-25 years and 240 between 30-40 years.