We are lucky in Mauritius to live in a democracy where human rights are respected. Driving a vehicle or having a drink may be taken for granted in our society.

On 10 December last, the world commemorated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 in the aftermath of World War 2 as a reaction to the crimes that were committed against humanity during that terrible period of history. Nowadays we unfortunately tend to fall into the extreme of taking our rights for granted and overlooking our duties without which the concept of rights is perverted.

Our island can boast of having three times as many vehicles per kilometre of road as the US and alcoholic drinks are readily available all over the island but that does not mean we have the right to drink and drive. We have the moral and legal duty to keep our roads safe because drink driving kills and wrecks lives.

Even royals do not escape from this explosive cocktail. Remember how in August 1997 Dodi Al Fayed and Princess Diana were denied their right to live in a terrible car accident by drunken driver Henri Paul whose blood alcohol content was found to be three times higher than the French legal limit at the time of the crash. Henri Paul simply could not carry out his duty to drive the couple safely while paparazzi were chasing them in an ultimate denial of their right to privacy!

Ted Kennedy was involved in a terrible car accident in June 1969. He was driving out of a party accompanied by Mary Jo Kopechne when his car skidded off a bridge and fell into a river. While he was able to make his way out safely, his passenger drowned in the car. A young lady's life was shortened while Mr Kennedy's chances for the presidency were drowned in the alcoholic drinks he was suspected to have had beforehand. Ted Kennedy had a duty to care for the life of his passenger. He failed to uphold this duty and his actions had serious irreversible consequences.

One cannot respect rights and carry out duties at the steering wheel when one's mind is under the influence of alcohol. This explains why, in 2003 in the US, 17,013 people lost their right to live in alcohol-related accidents. Two-thirds of children killed in accidents were under the responsibility of a drunken driver who, in most cases, failed in his duty to fasten their seat belts.

Drinking and driving is an insult to human rights: the right to safe trips and roads; the right to life. Let?s take our duty to heart and fight alcohol at the steering wheel. It?s no trivial business and its adverse consequences are a common concern.