Share

Stepping up on Drunk Driving

With the festive season fast dawning on us, the government has started stepping up on the Home Safe campaigns in the country to raise awareness about speeding, fatigue and drink driving, just to name a few.

While I can appreciate the attempt to raise awareness around some of these topics, I cannot help but cringe at the effort they (The State) try and make about driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. My personal opinion is that even though we have not adapted to a zero tolerance on DUI, the general government of South Africa, aren’t making an active effort to eliminate these factors by implementing an affordable public transport system that will assist party goers travel from point A-B without even sitting behind the wheel of a stationary vehicle.

The mentality of the general public (And the stats of alcohol use/abuse in this country) is one of “Why spend R600+ to get from A-B and back to A after a night? Many of us cannot and don’t want to pay R10/km to go for a beer in town, especially if you are travelling alone to meet some friends somewhere. Result? “I’ll drive, have two drinks and go home” in which case you are quite possibly not drunk, but very well over the legal limit.

The Western Cape has the highest arrest rate in the country for DUI, this is not to say that Cape Tonians and their visitors drink more that the rest of the country, but that Policing in this area is a lot more efficient than in other parts of the country. With this said, it is good that Cape Town is trying to be the leader in being an example for a “Zero Tolerance” province, but it still begs the question as to what the government and the public, combined, can do not only to prevent courts and jails filling up with, dare I say, mundane cases of DUI when clearly we have larger issues to worry about, for example the violent crimes in the Cape Flats, Murders, Rape, Violence against Women and Children etc.

If I earned enough money, I would gladly pay someone to drive me around while I party with friends over the weekend. I would say on average you look on spending at least R400 or R500 on a night out, depending on the venue, choice of drink and company you are with. Top that with another +- R600 taxi fare to pick you up and drop you off at the end of the night and you could consider the fact that a month’s worth of recreation could cost you in excess of R4000 per month. (Should you wish to go out once every weekend with friends, take a taxi to and from a venue, food, entertainment etc.)

To top all this off, you have the “Ghost Squad” that sneaks up on you out of nowhere. With increased stories in the media of people being killed/hijacked by being pulled off by unmarked “Blue light gangs” it’s becoming more and more obvious for members of the public refusing to stop when they see blue lights behind them, leading to either a high speed pursuit or an arrest for evading police when you eventually stop. Yes, drive to your nearest SAPS station when an unmarked vehicle tries to stop you, but by the time you stop there, the “damage” has been done.  

We have a great service in MyCiti bus service in Cape Town. A bus that will take you all along the main routes at a lot cheaper than the average taxi, but the service ends well before the night even started/ends, thus, again, leaving commuters to decide to either spit up a couple of R100’s to be chauffeured to a specific venue, or drive there on their own and risk being over the limit when they “think” or “know” they are not over the legal driving limit.

It is in my opinion, that until we have a very decent look at Cape Town as not just a tourist destination, but as a destination of the people of Cape Town and their visitors, the courts and jails will be over whelmed with visitors and locals being charged with this crime. If Cape Town can come up with a solution to suite its locals, the rate of DUI incidents and arrests will drop significantly, thus, freeing up Police to focus on the more serious needs of Cape Town.

Please know that I am not trying to make an excuse for DUI, but to be realistic, this is a problem that we are sitting with, and all you hear is how many people were caught for DUI and how bad it is and what the next measure is that the City of Cape Town is planning to put in place to prevent people from even thinking of their car keys, but at the end of the day, they(They Government) are not working along with its own people to find a solution to the problem.

You might say things like, “What about a company that picks you up from a venue and then drives you and your car home?” That is all good and well, but we all also know that alcohol changes you and your personality quite significantly and I can almost guarantee you that you might have “thought” it to be a good idea to get one of these companies to help you at the end of the night, so you booked them before you left home.

Come 01h00, I am still “so fine to drive” that you will not get my keys or money out of me. Good maybe even brilliant idea on paper, but how many of these drivers have to put up with a drunk at closing time just trying to get his keys or a cancellation fee from him / he

r? Not even to mention that if the party goers see a venue on their way home that is still open and serving beverages? “Its my car, you will stop it here.” Party more. Decide you (as the owner and driver of the vehicle) is still sober enough to drive, turn the corner and get pulled over by law enforcement or hit a roadblock, god forbid make or be involved in an accident.

I know we are a developing country and that we will not evolve in an overnight sensation of cheap affordable public transport, but I think more and more people need to raise this point in order for others to take note and maybe recognize the need of the “Average Joe” not just in Cape Town, but in South Africa.

Please note that the opinion of this letter/article are my own, I am not a professional writer and I AM an average Joe in South Africa.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1213 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1409 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2139 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.96
-0.1%
Rand - Pound
24.04
+0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.55
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.6%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.8%
Platinum
900.98
-0.2%
Palladium
1,000.76
-0.5%
Gold
2,155.89
-0.2%
Silver
24.95
-0.4%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
65,751
-0.8%
All Share
71,995
-0.6%
Resource 10
53,013
-0.6%
Industrial 25
99,381
-1.1%
Financial 15
16,605
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE