ARA

SAB together with law enforcement authorities has launched various state of the art Alcohol Evidence Centres (AEC) in specified areas across the country. Towards the end of last year Alcohol Evidence Centres were launched in Soweto (Dube), Pietermaritzburg (KZN) and the Western Cape.

Another three centres are due to be launched in the coming months in Kempton Park (Ekurhuleni), Balito and Tshwane. These centres will also be equipped with the necessary tools to accurately detect a driver’s blood alcohol concentration level through a single breath sample.

This specific campaign forms part of a countrywide initiative by SAB to tackle drunk driving. The accuracy of the data collected at these centres is expected to dramatically improve the prosecution rates of those detained under suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Research has shown that effective enforcement and prosecution are the most effective ways to change attitudes and behaviors among those who drink and drive,” observed Vincent Maphai, Director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation at SAB.  “By equipping police with tools to better arrest and prosecute irresponsible drivers, we hope to make drinking and driving socially unacceptable.”

The equipment supplied for the centres include state-of-the-art breathalyzers and a closed-circuit television network to monitor the testing process. The breathalyzer machines are able to take an instant and accurate reading of the breath alcohol content of an individual. The reading is then used as evidence to secure a conviction of drunk driving.

“We hope that the contribution of equipment will act as an effective deterrent to those who may still consider drinking and driving,” added Maphai. “A significant shift in mindset is required among those South African drivers who drink and we believe that this equipment is one of the most practical and effective ways to affect change among individuals and ultimately, the society as a whole.”  

With the law enforcement authorities conducting regular roadblocks, those people whose breathalyzer tests reveal more than 0.24mg of alcohol per litre of oxygen on their breath, will be brought to the relevant AEC for further testing and upon a positive result charged with a criminal offence.

By the end of August, SAB will have nine AEC’s in the following places:

Soweto and Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Pietermaritzburg, Port Shepstone, Umdloti and Ballito in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Athlone in the Western Cape, Ibhayi in the Eastern Cape, and one in the city of Tshwane

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