726 Social determinants and drunken driving

<h3></h3> Drunken driving is a significant risk in road traffic accident. Alcohol and drugs can impair a person’s reaction time, thinking and physical ability to navigate the road. Drunk drivers are more likely to cause fatal accidents and injuries than other drivers. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not just a risk for other people, as the offenders suffer negative health and social effects themselves as well. A signi&amp;filig;cant proportion of injured or killed road users in India, had used alcohol before accident. According to the data by Ministry of Road Transport, drunk driving accounted for a substantial portion of road accidents nationwide in 2022, causing 3268 accidents, which equates to nearly one-tenth of all accidents recorded in 2022. Additionally, 1,503 fatalities were attributed to drunk driving, comprising approximately 11% of the total road accident deaths in India for that year. The Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) explicitly outlines traffic regulations pertaining to drunk driving. Section 185 of the MVA 2019, it is illegal to drive when you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered a criminal offence. As per MVA, driving by a drunken person under the influence of drugs is a punishable for the first offence, with imprisonment for a term of up to 6 months and/or a traffic violation fine of up to Rs. 10,000/-. Second or subsequent offence, if committed within three years of a similar offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term of up to 2 years and/or a fine of Rs. 15,000/-. Traffic police officials can make drivers undergo a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) test to assess their level of intoxication. Studies shows, social factors are associated with drunken driving. In general, poor social position was associated with a higher probability of drunken driving. A low level of education, unemployment, living alone, and divorce were strongly associated with drunken driving. There is evidence even to suggest that the poor are drinking more than they earn, a deadly spiral of alcohol and debt.