EDITORIAL: Breathalyser Testing long overdue

IT’S January 2020 and the next big topic is that of the introduction of Breathalyser Testing in Barbados.

Late last year, it was announced that motorists driving under the influence of alcohol will be doing so at the risk of being subjected to Breathalyser Testing, as the New Year opens.

The announcement came during a service for the United Nations’ Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, from Minister of Transport and Works, Dr. William Duguid.

“My Ministry is at an advanced stage with respect to the use of Breathalyser Testing of drivers of vehicles. The introduction of such testing will certainly go a long way in ensuring the safety of the travelling public, and we anticipate that this will be instituted in January of 2020,” Duguid remarked at the time, whilst also promising that Government would be instituting world-class measures to make our roads safer.

That said, the Barbados Road Safety Association has been calling for some time now for Breathalyser Testing to come on stream in Barbados and for harsher penalties to be meted out to drivers who get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol and cause collisions. Thus, it is about time those calls were answered.

Indeed, we are slow where implementation of this measure is concerned, but at least it is finally here. Indeed, how could we as a nation continue to ignore the road safety advocates’ calls for Breathalyser Testing, when from day to day, we are continually seeing a number of accidents taking place on our roads and to this day, we cannot be sure how many of them have been caused as a result of an impaired driver, who had one too many drinks. It is time therefore that Breathalyser Testing does come on stream and those found wanting, as it relates to contributing to or causing a fatal accident while under the influence of alcohol, are dealt with accordingly.

We are far behind when it comes to operating at global standards where some road safety measures are concerned. In the United Kingdom, drink-driving penalties are in place. Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink, may get you three months of imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500 and a possible driving ban. Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or while unfit through drink, may get you six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a driving ban for at least one year. Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drinks, may result in 14 years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, a ban from driving for at least two years and an extended driving test before your licence is returned.

In Canada, impaired driving, which means operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada and the consequences are serious. You may lose your licence, have your vehicle impounded, need to pay an administrative monetary penalty, need to attend an education or treatment programme, be fined upon conviction, be required to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle or you may spend time in jail.

In the United States, each state has different limits, restrictions, and penalties regarding alcohol. The point is, it is high time officials here do what is necessary to reduce alcohol-related crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers and show a zero-tolerance approach to this life or death issue. So we welcome with open arms, Breathalyser Testing in Barbados.