As South Africans prepare for time with family and much-deserved joy and relaxation this festive season, we must be conscious of the power of our individual and collective agency as a nation to act as a responsible united force on the road for the greater good of our communities.
Between 2015 and 2017 South Africa has seen a downward trend in fatal car accidents in which an intoxicated driver was involved. According to statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation, there has been an overall percentage decrease in driver intoxication in fatal crashes over the last seven years
Corporate Brand Director at the South African Breweries (SAB) Sphe Vundla says “We can’t deny that irresponsibility is the true enemy on the roads, especially in the holiday season. “SAB has always been passionate about having none for the road so we have once again partnered with government to ensure that our roads are safe and those who drive under the influence face the full might of the law.”
This festive season SAB partnered with government by hosting regional activations across the country to increase road safety awareness. This has been accomplished through SAB’s evidence-based responsibility platform, SAB Sharp, which drives SAB’s mission to not only encourage people to live sharp and sell sharp, but drive sharp, too.
Starting with a Festive Road Safety activation in Polokwane, the brewer will be also partner with law enforcement agencies with another one for the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD). SAB will then move to the Western Cape in which it will host a road safety and fatigue management awareness day in Swartland in which truck drivers will receive safety care packs. SAB will then engage with the Free State Department of Transport in a road safety partnership.
“We are purposefully making a measurable difference in the fight against driving under the influence,” says Vundla.
He says SAB’s target is to reduce alcohol related road incidents and fatalities by 10% before the end of 2025 through key strategic partnerships with the Department of Transport, Metro Police and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
One of the ways SAB is actively progressing towards this goal is through Alcohol Evidence Centres (AECs) – an initiative that Vundla says will certainly be active over the festive season.
Over a decade ago SAB partnered with the Department of Transport to develop the concept of these AECs. 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.
“We are proud to say that we have set up 10 AECs across the country,” says Vundla. “With these centres, we can help make South Africa’s roads safer by empowering authorities to enforce regulations with world-class infrastructure and technology to help process arrests.”
Vundla says AECs have been central to the implementation of the proposed Blood Alcohol Concentration 0% Bill and will be out in full force over the festive season. In October 2022, SAB took AECs to the next level by handing over seven mobile AECs in partnership with Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
“We know that it is our duty to ensure we do everything we can to ensure that South Africans act responsibly. Through SAB sharp, and together with our partners, we actively make the festive season safer for our communities.”
