“The zero-tolerance road traffic law enforcement that contributed towards decrease of road fatalities by 46% must be sustained to reduce drunken driving that accounts for 89% of the country’s fatal crashes,” SANCO national spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu said while applauding the decline.
Mahlangu called on authorities to redouble efforts to reduce the backlog of blood alcohol samples to ensure that cases against motorists arrested for drunken driving are speedily processed through court processes.
“Blood alcohol results are crucial to secure convictions and harsh sentences that include suspension of driving licences that will serve as a deterrent to other road users,” he said.
He stressed that the current backlog at the four forensic chemistry laboratories which leads to provisional withdrawal of drunken driving cases on court rolls increases the perception that there is no justice, since other road users are not seeing justice being immediately served on offenders.
Mahlangu commended road users who heeded the call for responsible driver behaviour over the Easter weekend for playing their part to reduce the carnage on public roads.
