India mulls 7-year jail term for road accident deaths by drunk drivers

NEW DELHI, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to curb the rising number of road accidents in India, the government is planning to increase the jail term for deaths caused by drunk drivers, sources said Sunday.

Currently, drunk drivers face a maximum of two years in jail for causing deaths in accidents but the government now wants to increase it to seven years, sources said.

This is after a parliamentary committee recently recommending a 10-year jail term for drunk drivers causing deaths in accidents, to put brakes on the number of road deaths.

"The panel wants drunk drivers to be booked for culpable homicide that entails a 10-year jail term instead of current death by negligence. The government wants an in-between," sources said.

Every year 500,000 road accidents are reported in India, in which 150,000 people die, and the government has vowed to reduce the mishaps and fatalities by 50 percent in five years. Enditem