DEAR Editor,-
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the proposal by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) that driving under the influence be reclassified from a schedule 2 to a schedule 5 offence. We sincerely hope that this fourth attempt has included all the necessary processes to translate it into legislation.
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The DA has, on numerous occasions, called for more stringent measures for drivers found guilty of driving under the influence. We have also called for the KZN Department of Transport (DoT) to engage with the Department of Justice to consider stiffer punishment for reckless drivers, in particular those who cause loss of life or limb.
The reclassification of drunk driving offences means that offenders will not be able to get bail at a police station level and that they will instead have to apply for bail in a court of law. It will also mean stiffer sentences upon conviction.
Recent accident data trends based on the RTMC national analysis, indicate that a whopping 73.6 percent of contributing factors for vehicle crashes can be attributed to human factors, particularly drunk driving, speeding and negligent and reckless driving.
Yet the RTI in KZN is still experiencing challenges in the processing of blood samples from drunken drivers.
In December last year, the DA called for a Western Cape pilot project aimed at detecting and determining blood alcohol levels in cases of drunk driving to be introduced. To date our appeal has fallen on deaf ears.
As the festive season approaches, proper road safety law enforcement must be prioritised. It is clear that any meaningful reduction in the level of carnage on our roads will require far greater investment in building the overall capacity of the RTI.
This includes addressing the systemic challenges such as labour related disputes, filling of critical posts both at high and mid-level, fraud and corruption and non-implementation of standing orders along with the ailing infrastructure at certain RTI stations which has led to a very low staff morale.
Some may argue that KZN cannot financially afford to fix the problems. The question is – can we afford not to?
RAFEEK SHAH, MPL
DA KZN Spokesperson on Transport
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