Buffalo City gets Alcohol Evidence Centre from SAB, to make roads safer
Today, the South African Breweries handed over an Alcohol Evidence Centre (AEC) to the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Traffic Department; a centre that is equipped with the necessary equipment to accurately and efficiently determine the breath alcohol level of a person suspected of driving under the influence. This marks the 10th AEC SAB handed over to various South African municipalities to bolster the fight against driving under the influence.
With the AEC, and the launch of SAB Sharp, the organisation intends to create a safer and smarter drinking culture. Lower blood alcohol concentration limits and stricter enforcement have been proven around the world to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities linked to drinking and driving.
Director of SAB’s BU South Communities, Heidi Bartis, says “we want to reinforce the sentiment that people should never drive after drinking, not even after one drink. These centres are our best effort to help equip law enforcement with the tools and support they need to effectively prosecute transgressors.”
SAB’s Pietermaritzburg AEC provides a worthy case study for AEC effectiveness. Opened in April 2019 in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, by November 2019 this area experienced a 44% reduction in road fatalities. More importantly, there were 1500 arrests made and over 400 successful prosecutions for drivers under the influence.
Over the years, these centres have become a crucial in helping law enforcement test suspected drunk drivers and confirm their breath or blood alcohol limit using Evidentiary Breathalyser Alcohol Testing (EBAT) and registered medical practitioners. Following that, the AECs are all fully equipped to also ensure that the evidence is properly collected and admissible in court.
As a responsible corporate citizen, SAB understands the impact that drinking, and driving has on communities across the country. Initiatives such as the AECs are necessary in helping to remind South Africans that drunk driving is unacceptable on our roads.
The handover of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Traffic Department AEC fulfilled SAB’s commitment to have ten AECs up and running by the end of 2021. The ten AECs are currently located in Limpopo; Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and Gauteng. Moreover, SAB Sharp’s vision is to establish 50 AECs by 2025 with the support of key road safety stakeholders, which is founded at the back of SAB’s commitment to help the nation Drive Sharp, which aims to help reduce alcohol-related incidents and fatalities by 2025.
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