Government is cracking down on drunk drivers.
More than 160 people have been arrested for drunken driving since last month and that’s just in Pietermaritzburg.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande has launched the Easter Road Safety Campaign in the city.
An advanced alcohol evidence centre has officially been opened in Pietermaritzburg.
The project is part of a national rollout and is expected to help police convict more motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol.
“Some people get caught drunk five, six times or even more times even before the first results are back,” Nzimande said.
“Now we get the results instantly which means we can proceed as soon as possible to actually charge people and we believe this is going to be a huge deterrent because many people knew that it almost doesn’t mean anything to actually be caught drunk because it’s going to be forever before we are able to bring a person to court.”
The system is already in use in the Western Cape and is being rolled out nationally.
Drivers are first screened during roadblocks and then brought into the centre for an advanced test.
Nzimande acknowledges that, for the system to work effectively, corruption needs to be dealt with.
The Road Traffic Inspectorate director Victor Chetty has promised to do just that.
“If officers are found to be wanting, they will be dealt with decisively and prudently and they will be prosecuted themselves and taken to the processes of being dealt with departmentally and criminally so for us in the province corrupt officials we cannot entertain and we do not want them in the force,” Chetty said.
Last year more than 500 people died during the Easter period on the roads and a further 1600 during the Christmas season.
Motorists can expect more roadblocks as Easter approaches.
Source – eNCA
