Six arrested in uMhlanga roadblock
In the last 12 roadblocks held at night, 142 drunk drivers were arrested and charged.
DURBAN North SAPS held a roadblock on the M41 going towards uMhlanga on Saturday night resulting in the arrest of six drunk drivers.
According to Capt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS, the drivers arrested on the night bought the total number of people arrested in the last 12 roadblocks to 142 drunk drivers.
“Too many motorists are still risking their own safety as well as that of other road users by driving their vehicles after they have consumed alcohol. We cannot continue to ignore the problem and allow drunk drivers to take to the street,” Deokaran said.
According to Caro Smit, Founder of South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD) more than 60 per cent of the 18 000 deaths a year on the roads in the country are associated with drunk drivers and/or pedestrians. The NPO was founded by Smit, after her 23-year-old-son, Chas, was killed in September 2005, by a driver who had been drinking.
“There are too little roadblocks in the area. I’ve also become aware of people deliberately posting messages on social media warning of roadblocks. Sadly, some people view drunk driving as a minor infraction, and not as a criminal act. That mindset has got to change, if you consider that more than 60 per cent of the deaths on our roads is alcohol related,” Smit said.
“The most important thing is most of these accidents are preventable. I don’t think it’s a question of poor legislation as some have suggested, we have exceptionally good legislation. What let us down is poor accident reconstruction and laws not being enforced properly.”
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