PETALING JAYA: Over the past 10 years, only 69 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs have been reported, making it the lowest cause of death in road crashes.
Private chauffeur service provider Steven Lee said road users have been drinking and driving responsibly in recent years.
“More people are drinking responsibly by using our service compared with when the platform was just founded.
“I believe the numbers will keep increasing,” Lee said, adding that he founded the company following a minor accident after having some alcohol.
“After the incident, I got the idea of starting a private chauffeur service so that drinkers like me can be driven to ensure the safety of other road users.
“With our service, a registered driver will ferry the passenger who consumed alcohol and send him home in his car. This way, the passenger is safe from police checks and potential crashes as well.”
Lee said his company ensures the safety of clients by only hiring qualified and well-trained drivers.
“Our drivers need to follow stringent qualification standards before they can drive under our service. This serves to ensure that none of our clients will be taken advantage of when they are intoxicated.”
A user of the platform, who wished to be known only as Ganesh, said he once encountered a police roadblock after having had some drinks.
“For a long time after that, I dared not drink outside my home as I was worried about running into the police again.
“It was only after I got to know about this service that I started to go out drinking with friends again. Now, I always book a driver whenever I go drinking.”
He said the service gives him peace of mind as it ensures he gets home safely without endangering himself or others, apart from avoiding legal consequences.
Lawyer Siva Ganish Sundrarajoo said the penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years and a fine of between RM10,000 and RM30,000.
“The person will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for not less than two years from the date of conviction.
“If the person is found guilty of the same offence a second time, the jail term will be up to five years with a fine of between RM20,000 and RM50,000.
“He or she will be disqualified from obtaining a licence for not less than five years from the date of conviction.”
Siva said police conduct regular roadblocks to check on drivers suspected of driving under the influence.
“If the person is suspected of (being under the influence), he or she will be taken to a hospital for blood and urine tests. The specimens will then be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis.
“The prescribed limit of alcohol is 22 microgrammes (mcg) per 100ml of breath, 50mcg per 100ml of blood and 67mcg per 100ml of urine.”