Chris Lotze smoking and drinking at Springbok bar in Hatfield on August 18, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa. It is reported that South Africa entered the first day of Level 2 of the national lockdown as new regulations come into effect. South Africans can now legally have 10 visitors at home and buy alcohol and cigarettes. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
In theory, it is a laudable idea to reduce the legal limit for blood alcohol – as it relates to operating any form of motor vehicle – but in practice, it could open up a whole can of worms of contested and unfair prosecutions.
Experts in blood testing procedures and equipment acknowledge that there are a range of substances which contain minute traces of alcohol which may cause a motorist to test positive, even though they have not been drinking.
Products often state that they contain alcohol, such as cough medicine, mouthwash, or energy sachets and
energy drinks.
These will all cause positive results on breathalysers for a few minutes after they have been used – something which is known as the “mouth alcohol effect”.
ALSO READ: Zero alcohol limit for motorists might prove to be problematic
Another problem may occur with bread, because it contains yeast and when a few days old, contains tiny amounts of alcohol.
It’s not enough to cause impairment, but enough that the alcohol could be detected by the breathalyser if the test was done within a minute or so after eating the bread.
With those possible false readings, there is bound to be confusion and, more worryingly, wrongful arrests – especially if law enforcement officials have not been given thorough training in the process.
But the real problem with the “zero alcohol, zero tolerance” policy proclaimed by the government through Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is that it is nothing more than the proverbial political and legal fig leaf behind which to hide the reality that our country’s roads are anarchic places – and that things have been getting worse, not better.
A zero alcohol limit needs to be enforced and when it is, we have no doubt that it will make bribery even more attractive – and unavoidable.
Reduce the limit by all means – but not to where it becomes impractical to enforce.
READ MORE: Mbalula talks tough on new regulations – Motorists will have to drive ‘100% sober’
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