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. Vuyelwa Sibindi
As the New Year celebrations draw closer drunk driving rates are likely to escalate, raising concerns of whether or not people will live to see the New Year.
Despite the efforts by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development drivers still engage in drunken driving whose accidents have always claimed lives and in most cases breadwinners leaving dependants vulnerable. The absence of breathalysers has made it hard for justice to prevail.
The Government is therefore faced with a task of investing in breathalysers in order to save lives and put reckless drivers behind bars. The war is not on alcohol but on drivers who still insist on driving while intoxicated, putting the lives of many at risk.
Though the country has a legal limit for drivers the shortage of breathalysers has resulted in our justice system facing a torrid time when trying to prove whether or not a driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The shortage of breathalysers has turned the roads into a paradise for drunk drivers, the painful part being that this freedom still leads to unnecessary loss of life that could have been prevented if the driver had stayed off the road or had been sober.
The introduction of breath testing kits will stop drivers from violating Section 55 of the Road Traffic Act 13:11(2) (a) and if caught on the wrong side of the law the courts will be able to enforce the stipulated punishment on offenders.
Drivers caught on the wrong side of the law face imprisonment ranging from two to 15 years or a fine of up to $5 000 but no matter how much money one pays as a fine it is not enough to compensate lives lost by driver negligence.
If only drivers were cautious when driving on bad roads and avoided drunken driving road carnage could be a thing of the past and human life would be preserved.
The recent Tsholotsho accident which claimed the lives of 21 people and left 48 others hospitalised could have been avoided if the driver had been sober and had been within the speed limit.
One of the survivors Wilcot Nkomo told the Chronicle that he was lucky to be alive as the driver was drunk and had approached a curve at 120km per hour when he failed to negotiate leading to the deadly accident.
Negligent driving remains the main cause of accidents in the country especially during the festive season as, like this driver. many others are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
a�?I am lucky to have survived this accident and ita��s sad 21 of my teammates died just like that. I definitely blame the driver for his rowdy behaviour and drinking habits. Many a time, we warned him on his reckless driving and speeding. At some point he drove at five kilometres per hour for a while to provoke us after we had complained that he was speeding,a�? he said.
The Government is then faced with a task of investing in breathalysers in order to assist police officers to bring all drunk drivers to justice as they continue to endanger the lives of their passengers.
Traffic authorities are encouraged to intensify road patrols, campaigns and raise awareness on the importance of road safety, especially during the festive season which is observed by people annually. This is because traffic accidents lead to unexpected deaths leaving others with life changing disabilities affecting the countrya��s development in the long run.
Passengers also have a duty to themselves to check drivers when they are speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol to guarantee their safety.
The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) spokesperson Tatenda Chinoda encouraged drivers to refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as we approach the New Year celebrations.
a�?This year we are targeting the youth who have a tendency of driving without authorisation from adults during this period just to impress friends or for the sake of swag, endangering the lives of other road users,a�? he said.
Chinoda also highlighted that a guilty conscience that the youth have after taking vehicles without permission is the main reason why accidents happen, encouraging parents and guardians to monitor their childrena��s movements during this period.
a�?The New Year euphoria sees scores of unlicensed drivers also getting behind the wheel, especially when they want to test-drive the vehicles of their relatives who are coming in from neighbouring countries. We are therefore discouraging people from doing such. If you want to taste something do so with your soups not on the roads,a�? he continued.
He encouraged drivers to adhere to traffic safety rules and to stay alert in order to preserve human life during the celebrations.
Online Reporter