TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER, 1998
ARRIVE ALIVE' s campaign against drinking and driving campaign is starting to hit road users with more than 200 people arrested countrywide over the past weekend.
Alcohol, along with speed, is the major focus of the ARRIVE ALIVE campaign as it is a contribution factor in approximately 60% of all fatalities.
Booze buses, which are part of the national Department of Transport's Arrive Alive campaign, are having a noticeable effect on driving habits in KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape, especially along the major holiday routes.
In the Western Cape, one big Booze Bus, two smaller ones and 15 caravans were used in nine roadblocks, during which they arrested 27 people in a single day for being under the influence.
According to KwaZulu Natal provincial traffic police spokesmen, Booze Buses were instrumental in the arrest of 19 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol over the weekend. This does not include the number of motorists arrested in urban centres, which are reported separately.
A spokesman for the KwaZulu Natal Traffic Inspectorate says that apart from their use for testing alcohol and help centres, the high visibility of the Booze Buses have also been found to have a restraining effect on road users.
"We have noticed a significant decline in the number of detections and prosecutions of drunk drivers since the buses have beenintroduced," the spokesperson said, even though we are testing more people than ever before.
Nine Booze Buses have been introduced in KwaZulu Natal and one, supplemented by two smaller ones, in the Western Cape. In addition, the Department of Transport has provided 54 more caravans, which operate as mobile offices to deal with perpetrators that have been fined for offence at roadblocks, and 155 evidentiary breathalysers nationwide.
KwaZulu Natal traffic police say the buses have been allocated to the Durban metropolis, Southern natal, Northern Natal, the Midlands and the Ulundi region.
The Arrive Alive campaign focuses on alcohol abuse by pedestrians as well. Drunk pedestrians were probably the cause of the 41 pedestrian fatalities during last December.
In Pretoria alone, where 58 drivers were arrested over the weekend, police also arrested more than 100 pedestrians on the highways and in the city for being under the influence of alcohol.
"For an inebriated pedestrian, the prognosis is poor. For the unfortunate motorist, the consequences may be as grave. We intend to continue with these arrests. Ons gaan hulle vasvat," a senior traffic spokesman said.
A study conducted in the Western Cape showed that 47% of drivers killed in crashes had a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.08 gram per 100ml blood while 73% of pedestrians who died after crashes were over the legal limit. A similar study conducted in Gauteng found that about 70% of all road crash victims admitted to hospital were under the influence of alcohol.
ARRIVE ALIVE sends a word of thanks to all those citizens who have made it their duty to persuade their relatives and friends not to drink and drive and from exceeding the speed limit.
"With the traffic volume having increased from yesterday, we urge drivers not to drink ad drive and to drive within the legal speed limit, considering the wet weather conditions, or they will have to face the full might of the law", says Perry Parirenyatwa, spokesperson for Arrive Alive.
"If a driver is breathalysed and found to be over the legal limit, he or she can be taken off the road immediately. There is not option of a fine, and he will be arrested on the spot, booked into a police station and locked up until sober, and then be appropraitely charged", says Parirenyatwa.
Motorists and pedestrians are warned of the following effects that drinking has on traffic participation:
"The effect of alcohol on a person's vision may not be obvious to the driver or passengers, but can be quite staggering, even after a drink or two," Parirenyatwa said.
Research by the British Medical Research Council indicated that the score on a field of vision test fell off 30% for a blood alcohol concentration of 0.55%.
In fact as you drive faster, you reduce your visual field. At 50km/h, side vision is reduced by 25%. At 75km/h it is reduced by 50% and at 90km/h a driver is literally driving down a "vision tunnel". Combine this with the effects of alcohol, and vision is reduced even more.
Alcohol affects co-ordination, reaction and balance. Fatigue combined with alcohol and/or drugs also aggravates the effect of alcohol on vision.
REMEMBER: There is no way to sober up quickly, not even vast quantities of black coffee, fresh air or cold showers will not do the trick.
Up to date statistics of road fatalities are available from the ARRIVE ALIVE Information Centre (012) 309 3669, which operates from 8am to 5pm daily or visit the ARRIVE ALIVE website on www,transport,co.za
Issued on behalf of: National Department of Transport Contact: Perry Parirenyatwa Telephone: (012) 309 3810 or 082 809 0729
Issued by: Sasani Communications Contact: Desiree Pooe or Sylvia Ortlieb Telephone: (011) 784 2598