PANJIM: With drunken driving and over speeding debates taking centerstage against the backdrop of a horrific car accident on Zuari Bridge, Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh has stressed that vehicles are machinery that need to be controlled by human beings. Just because a vehicle can reach high speeds, road-users should not get carried away, and let the machine control them, Singh explained.

“It is obvious that speed of the vehicle was above the limit resulting in the car crashing into the bridge railing and plunging into River Zuari. Human beings must understand that a vehicle is a machine that requires control and restraint. Motorists ought to follow speed limits,” he said on the sidelines of an event to commemorate World Day Against Human Trafficking organised by the Police Department in association with NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ).

The accident that occurred past midnight on Thursday saw four Loutolim locals, including a Congress worker, losing their lives.

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday said that 95 per cent of road accidents during the late hours are due to drunken driving and proposed amending the law to ban driving under the influence of alcohol.

The State police have already started random checks to crack down on drunken driving.

Pointing out that bad roads are not the sole reason for accidents, DGP Singh appealed to road-users to stop using poor road conditions as an excuse to avoid fines.

He also emphasised on the need for awareness programmes in schools and among families to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

Commenting on the conviction rate in Goa, the DGP conceded that the numbers are not satisfactory.

“The Police Training School is already working on developing a module to train investigating officers to ensure that cases do not result in acquittal of criminals, and that conviction is obtained,” he said.

The DGP held a meeting of Public Prosecutors to identify various causes that lead to acquittal of the accused in various crimes.