Dozen arrested for drinking and driving
Yolanda NelA week after the launch of the Stand Sober campaign to stop drivers from drinking and driving, 12 people were arrested last weekend.
“We do not want to see these numbers, as they are a problem,” said senior superintendent Adam Eiseb, who heads the campaign. “We want to see an absence of people drinking and then driving under the influence,” he says.
Eiseb said that 24 people were arrested in the week the campaign was launched, but that the data included arrests made the preceding weekend. While he could not confirm the total number of people arrested since the campaign launched, he mentioned that the previous weekend was month-end and that people tend to drink more then.
During this six-month campaign, the data collected will not only include the number of people who are guilty of drinking and driving, the alcohol rate when drivers are tested will also be included. “We are also carrying out random breath tests as part of the City Police’s continuous efforts to put an end to drinking and driving,” Eiseb.
Sidney Boois, senior manager of the claims department at the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF) says the campaign started off very well.
According to the MVAF, although there have been less crashes between January and July this year, more people have lost their lives on the roads this year than in 2016. There have been 2 280 crashes in this period, with 420 fatalities recorded. In 2016, there were 2 484 crashes and 407 fatalities in the same period. The number of injuries this year stands on 4 001, compared to the 4 229 injured last year.
Commissioner Amalia Gawanas of the Namibian Police said at the campaign launch that they are very serious about this campaign. “From now on there will be no bail. A trespasser will stay in custody for 48 hours before appearing before a magistrate,” she warned.
City Police and NAMPOL have dedicated a unit that will man each and every random alcohol screening point for the full extent of the campaign. The MVAF facilitates and provides public education regarding drunk driving and how the issue can be addressed. The general consensus regarding this campaign is a zero tolerance approach to drinking under the influence, with no exceptions.