500 arrests over Christmas weekend for drunken driving
JOHANNESBURG – Metro police were kept busy over the Christmas weekend.
According to the spokesperson for Metro police, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, more than 500 arrests were made for drunken driving over the Christmas weekend.
“The latest figures for drunken driving arrests now stand at 521 for the Christmas weekend, from the 23 to Tuesday 26 December,” said Minnaar.
The arrests were made at roadside checks set up by Metro police throughout all eight regions of the city of Johannesburg. “Most of the arrests happened in Sandton.”
One driver was arrested after he was discovered to be driving 184km/h in a Ford Focus.
In South Africa, the legal limit is a breath alcohol content of 0.24mg per 1 000ml or a blood alcohol limit of 0.05g per 100ml. In practical terms, this means a person who weighs about 68kg should drink no more than one unit of alcohol per hour.
“Of course this is just a rough guide and does not take into account the fact that people who weigh less will need longer to process the same amount of alcohol, nor the strength of the drinks being consumed.
“In a country which about 50 per cent of road deaths can be attributed to driving under the influence, it’s probably best to not drink and drive at all, but instead make alternative arrangements – safety should come first!”
