Drunk & Distracted DrivingMV Act 2019, Section 185 – fine ₹10,000 + up to 6 months jail; repeat offence 2 years jail
Drunk at the Wheel
Rule: BAC limit is 30 mg/100 ml blood; drunk driving attracts ₹10,000 fine and 6-month imprisonment
1
Friends' farmhouse, Gurugram, 11:30 PM
Uncle Sharma has had three pegs. Brushes off offers of a cab — 'Arre, main theek hoon, ghar bas 15 minute door hai.'
→ Checkpoint on NH-48. Breathalyser reads 62 mg/100 ml — over the limit. Challan ₹10,000, licence seized, Innova impounded overnight. Family informed at midnight.
✓ Lesson: Feeling 'fine' is the first symptom of impairment — subjective fitness and BAC are unrelated.
2
Same farmhouse, one month later
Sharma plans ahead: books Ola before the first peg, leaves car keys at home.
→ Reaches home safely at 12:15 AM. Zero legal risk, family relaxed, car safe.
✓ Lesson: Pre-planning a ride home is a sign of intelligence, not weakness.
3
Office, Monday morning
Sharma quietly advises a junior colleague who mentioned weekend driving after drinking.
→ Colleague downloads a cab app and deletes the 'I'm fine to drive' habit.
✓ Lesson: One conversation can prevent one irreversible outcome.
Now that you know this rule — can you apply it?
Test yourself with scenario-based questions from real Indian roads.
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