Drink and drive awareness campaign before Easter Weekend
Members of the Concerned Tshwane Liquor Traders Association are urging their fellow traders and consumers not to drink and drive.
In a bid to reduce accidents during the Easter weekend holidays, liquor traders came together to raise awareness on Tuesday.
The Don’t Drink and Drive campaign was organised by the members of the Concerned Tshwane Liquor Traders Association to reach out to more than 2 000 motorists ahead of the Easter weekend.
President of the association, Oupa Mthombeni said it is also the responsibility of liquor traders to prevent motor accidents, especially at night.
Mthombeni said accidents are caused by drunk drivers who come from where traders sell alcohol.
“The liquor traders must show love to their customers and not allow them to drive when they are drunk,” said Mthombeni.
“Liquor traders should not think only about making lots of money. There is a lot at stake, and if a customer has had enough, don’t sell them any more liquor.”
Mthombeni said liquor traders must organise transport for their customers or have someone sober to drive them home safely.
Liquor traders must take away car keys from drunk drivers, he added.
He said the main aim is to minimise accidents at night when people are travelling home to their loved ones.
“As liquor traders, we are concerned because some of these accidents are caused by our customers who come from our places and get into their vehicles drunk,” said Mthombeni.
He said the campaign is not just for motorists but also for pedestrians walking home late at night.
Mthombeni said as liquor traders “we are pledging to take care of our customers and say no to drinking and driving”.
“We won’t allow drunk customers to get behind the steering wheel and drive while they are drunk.”
Mthombeni appealed to all liquor traders to be extremely careful and enjoy a safe Easter weekend with their families and customers.
“Make sure customers drink responsibly, and most importantly, remember no underage drinking.”
Mthombeni said liquor traders should take care of customers and stick to the midnight curfew.
“This is our first campaign and we are working together with the police, metro police, department of health, and anti-drug and substance abuse organisations.”
More than 2 000 pamphlets with an anti-drunken driving message were given to motorists at toll gates and around Tshwane.
Alcohol can cause the following:
– disrupts cognitive functions, such as attention and decision-making, and impairs psychomotor skills, like co-ordination and reaction time, making it harder to control a vehicle.
– decrease alertness and vigilance, making drivers less aware of their surroundings and potential hazards.
– impair visual functions, including vision and tracking, making it harder to see and react to things on the road.
– slows down reaction times, making it harder for drivers to respond quickly to changing road conditions or potential hazards.
Driving under the influence of alcohol significantly increases the risk of accidents due to the combined effects of impaired cognitive and psychomotor abilities, reduced vigilance, and slowed reaction times.
Another issue discussed during the awareness campaign was the sale of liquor to children and pregnant women.
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