Drink-driving related crimes reduce - police

Measure. The force attributes the progress to the Red Card Campaign that is fighting the vice.

Police have recorded a slight reduction in the number of drink-driving related accidents from the festive season into the New Year.
New police statistics show that in 2011, 26.4 per cent of accidents were recorded in the Kampala Metropolitan area.

These accidents occurred between 11pm and 7am. Fatal accidents constituted 8.5 per cent of accidents that occurred between 11pm and 7am.
However, 2012 statistics show a drop in the number of fatalities from 763 in 2011 to 709 as recorded at the end of last year.

Kampala traffic police chief Lawrence Niwabiine said: “When you look at those numbers, we managed to save 54 lives but remember more cars came onto the roads yet we saw a reduction in fatalities with the few breathalysers we had in 2011 compared to 2012, this means we were able to expand our operations.”

Police attributed the results to a partnership with Uganda Breweries’ Red Card campaign that is championing zero tolerance to drink-driving.
While the campaign was launched in last December, throughout the year, the traffic police carried out late night road blocks to arrest people driving under the influence of alcohol.
The initiative seeks to influence behaviour change among people who drink.
It has seen 300 traffic police officers undergo skills training, bar owners and accredited taxi cab drivers on how to manage people who are most likely to drink and drive.
The training is drawing from Diageo’s DrinkIQ, a website (DrinkIQ.com).
It is a global resource for all “interested parties” to share programmes and tools designed to fight alcohol misuse.

dnakaweesi@ug.nationmedia.com