Drunk Driving and Road Safety

Drunk Driving and Road Safety

Drunk Driving is one of the biggest threats to Road Safety in South Africa. Research indicates that 50% of people who die on the roads have a blood alcohol concentration above 0.05 gram per 100 millilitres.

Brief Summary:

Legislation:

The National Road Traffic Act (NRTA), Act 93 of 1996 as amended.
 
Section 65: Driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug having a narcotic effect, or with an excessive amount of alcohol in blood or breath

1. No person shall on a public road -
   • (a) drive a vehicle; or
   • (b) occupy the driver's seat of a motor vehicle the engine of which is running, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a drug having a narcotic effect.

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limits:

A concentration of alcohol in blood: 0,05 gram per 100 millilitres (all drivers), professional drivers: 0,02 gram per 100 millilitres.
 
Breath alcohol content: 0,24 milligrams per 1000 millilitres (all drivers), professional drivers: 0,10 milligrams per 1000 millilitres.
 
Any person detained for an alleged contravention of any provision of this section shall not -

(b) during his or her detention smoke until the specimen has been taken, as the case may be.
 
No person shall refuse that a specimen of blood, or a specimen of breath, be taken of him or her.

Penalties Imposed For Drunk Driving

Section 35: On conviction of certain offences licence and the permit shall be suspended for a minimum period and learner's or driving licence may not be obtained

(1) Subject to subsection (3), every driving licence or every licence and permit of any person convicted of an offence referred to in -

(a) section 61 (1) in the case of death of or serious injury to a person'

(b) section 63 (1) driving recklessly,

(c) section 65 (1), (2) or (5)'

where such person is the holder of a driving licence or a licence and permit, shall be suspended in the case of -

(i) a first offence - for a period of at least six months
(ii) a second offence, for a period of at least five years; or
(ii) a third or subsequent offence, for a period of at least ten years.

For More Information on Drunk Driving also visit:

• Precision Safety Appliances

• Alcohol and Accidents

• Alcohol and Legal Implications

• Alcohol Classification

• Breath Measurement

• Brutal Facts

• Clinical Examination

• Confiscation of Vehicles

• Court Procedure

• Drink and Drive Offences

• Drinking after an Accident

• Drinking and Driving Statistics

• How Much is too Much?

• Medical-Legal Facts

• The Blood Test

• The Test/ The Arrest

• Alco-Check and Road Safety

• NICRO and the Road Offences Panel Programme

• South Africans Against Drunk Driving (SADD)

For information on Breath Alcohol Testers available from Breathalyzers.co.za, visit the following links:

Website:

• Breathalysers.co.za

Law Enforcement & Industry Breathalyser Screening: 

• AlcoScan AL1100F VuvuThela Law Enforcement Breathalyser Screener

• AlcoScan ALP-1 Law Enforcement Breathalyser Screener including Printer + PC Software

• AlcoScan ALP-1 Law Enforcement Breathalyser Screener

Industry Breathalyser Screening:

• Chube Disposable Singles 0.02% BAC Breathalyser (Test at the Professional Driver’s Legal Limit)

• AlcoScan AL6000 Lite

• AlcoScan AL6000 Professional

• AlcoScan AL7000 Premium

• AlcoScan AL8000

• AlcoScan ALC-1

• AlcoScan AL9000 with PC Software

• AlcoScan AL9000 with Printer

Industry Entrance Breathalyser Screening Systems:

• AlcoScan Entrance Breathalyser AL3100

• AlcoScan Entrance Breathalyser System (2010 Indoor Model)

• AlcoScan Entrance Breathalyser System EBS010 (2014 Outdoor Water-Resistant Model)

Alco-Interlock Breathalyser Screener for Ignition Interlock Breathalyser Screening:

• AlcoScan Interlock Breathalyser ALX1000

Consumer Personal Breathalyser Screening:

• Chube 0.05% BAC Singles (Disposable Breathalyser testers)

• AlcoScan AL2500

• AlcoSense ONE

• AlcoSense-Elite