DRIVING under the influence of alcohol continues to be a major bugbear in the police’s efforts to curb road accidents, Acting Traffic Chief Dion Moore has said. 

Almost weekly police have been publishing the names of persons who were caught driving under the influence. Alarmingly, most of these drivers are from Berbice. In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday Moore acknowledged that drunk driving is a major cause for concern. He said drivers are consuming alcohol without having a designated driver on hand, and then getting behind the wheels of their vehicles to drive. He disclosed that once drivers are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, they will be charged, since the legal limit is .35% and they have had drivers tested at 100% and even as high as 400%!
He explained that once drivers are intoxicated, it is difficult for them to be in control of their vehicles, because their vision would be impaired.

The Acting Traffic Chief revealed that 67 road accidents have been recorded for this year; and of that number, 81 deaths, including those of 11 children, have occurred. The statistics for the corresponding period last year would show 84 road accidents from which have resulted in 91 deaths, including those of 11 children. He said that a total of 1,564 persons have been charged for speeding; 215 persons have been charged for operating private cars for hire; 672 for breaching traffic light controlled signals; 398 for using cell phones while driving; and 1251 for drunk driving.

Moore noted that drunk driving first-time offenders are charged and fined $7,500, but second-time offenders have their licences suspended for a year. He said the police will focus on establishing school road safety patrols where needed, since it is of paramount importance that children be involved in road safety and everyone play a meaningful role. Moore reported that there had been a 20% decrease in fatalities at the end of August 2015, as against a 6% increase in same period at the end of July this year.

SLOW DOWN
Meanwhile, Moore is appealing to all drivers and road users to leave home early to arrive at their respective destinations “alive and on time”, considering that schools countrywide have reopened. He admonished that one cannot leave home late and expect to arrive at one’s destination on time. He explained that some errant drivers who choose to speed often cannot bring their vehicles to a halt in time to avoid an accident or death on our roadways, and he said it is a worrying trend. Superintendent Moore has appealed to all drivers to adhere to the principles and guidelines of the road, to be road safety conscious, and to adhere to the speed limit in order to reduce accidents and fatalities on our thoroughfares.

He said the police have noticed that most drivers want to drive above the speed limit, which is not considerate to road users, since all classes of vehicles have an equal right to use the roads as well. Moore added that drivers must be alert and look out for animals and children on the roads, and he said that if those are observed, drivers must reduce their speed to be able to stop in time, since an abrupt halt of the vehicle can result in an accident. He pointed out that another trend observed by the traffic department is that drivers are in the habit of tailgating, and he has warned that they should desist from that practice because drivers are required to maintain their distance behind any other vehicle, depending on the road and weather conditions.
Moore advised that drivers must comply with the speed limit in busy intersections, at school zones, and at other places where there are a lot of activities that would require them to bring the vehicle to a halt at any time. He added that, at traffic lights, once there is the flashing mode, drivers are required to stop before proceeding where the junction is controlled by a signal.

(Michel Outridge)