Despite many warnings and messages against drinking and driving, the number of cases relating to drink and driving is still an issue.
Police Commissioner Matthew Varley told journalists on Thursday at his weekly conference that with 11 cases of alcohol on the roads recorded for the first two weeks of this month is unacceptable high.
“From the 1st of July to 16th July, during the Solomon Cup operation the traffic centre recorded 11 cases of positive breath testing in Honiara,” Mr Varley said.
“That include around the venue of the Solomon Cup tournament.
“We still have this issue where people are still drinking and driving.”
Mr Varley said during the month of May they have recorded 36 positive cases of alcohol related driving.
“In June we have 28 cases.”
He said the message is still not getting through.
“We are still seeing people out on the roads drinking and driving at all hours in the day and night.
As a result of that, that makes the road less safe for everybody.
Mr Varley appealed to the community and to the media to help get the message out that people still need to know that drink driving is a dangerous practice and is not safe as it makes the roads less safe for all of our family and all our community.
“The message is loud and clear, don’t drink and drive or the police will catch you.”
Mr Varley said in Honiara they recorded 32 accidents in May, another 32 accidents in June and 18 accidents already in July.
He said these are accidents in all shapes and forms and is not saying all accidents are alcohol related.
“But it is still clear we have road safety issue in the city.”
The police chief said it is important that people in Honiara drive carefully, understand the responsibilities of safe road practice and importantly don’t drink and drive.
“Those messages go across the country to the provinces as well.
“Those statistics that I am referring to relates specifically to Honiara where there is the heaviest and biggest traffic is and that is where our focus is on obviously on road safety at the moment.”
Mr Varley said he knows the roads are congested and are difficult at the moment.
“We are doing what we can but it is up to the drivers as well to hear that message.”
He said people need to take note of that and listen to the message.
“Don’t drink and drive and if you are going to drink, arrange a designated driver, a member of a family, a friend or a colleague who cannot drink that day and can chauffeur people around or use public transport.
“That is best option.”
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
