Silly season is well under way in South Africa, and amid all the festivities and year-end functions, many are making the stupid and often fatal decision to drink and drive, rather than ride-hail.
Police in the Western Cape have noted a significant spike in drunk driving, having made 105 arrests for this crime over the past week. That’s more than triple the previous week’s 27 drunk driving arrests.
“We’re off to a boozy start and this does not bode well for the weeks ahead,” said Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member Alderman JP Smith.
“At best you will be arrested, spend time in jail and have a criminal record. Our accident statistics speak for themselves. This is not the gift you want to give yourself or your loved ones, so don’t drink and drive,” Alderman said.
Other South African metros had not announced any drunk driving arrest statistics by the time of writing, but various police departments are reportedly in the process of introducing more efficient alcohol testing.
The Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (Aware.org) announced in October that it would intensify its road safety efforts across the country in conjunction with various partners, including the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
Aware.org said it would facilitate quicker and more precise calibration of evidential breath alcohol testing equipment, while also improving data capturing through four dedicated data capturers.
“We know that around 5.5% of road incidents in South Africa are directly caused by drinking and driving,” Aware.org CEO Mokebe Thulo said.
"This statistic may seem small, but each one of those incidents represents lives affected. Through our initiatives, we are determined to bring that percentage down and continue our drive to save lives."
IOL