 
MEDIA STATEMENT
KZN MEC FOR TRANSPORT S'BU NDEBELE GOES ALL OUT TO ENSURE THAT ROAD-USERS STAY ALIVE THIS CHRISTMASKwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Mr S'bu Ndebele, is poised to introduce another innovation - a first for South Africa - this year in his relentless fight against road abuse. Following on his recent launch of roadside courts to mete out instant punishment to road offenders, the enforcement of road safety rules in KwaZulu-Natal is about to receive another major boost when Minister Ndebele hands over Evidential Breathalysers to the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the launch of the KZN Summer Holiday Road Safety Programme to be held on Tuesday, 27 November 2001, at the Mooi River Toll Plaza (southbound) commencing at 10:30. Together with officials from the Department of Transport, Mr Ndebele has put together a comprehensive plan to ensure that all road users in KwaZulu-Natal have every opportunity of staying alive on the province's roads during the forthcoming festive season, and at the same time to deal firmly with road abusers. Drunken driving is one of the key targets for the Minister in the coming holiday road safety campaign - hence the handing over of the Evidential Breathalysers to the SAPS. Based on the experience of the Collision Response Units of the SAPS, who are called to attend scenes of horrible crashes, that many such incidents are caused by drivers who have consumed more alcohol than is permissible by law, the Minister is determined to put an end to the problem that these drunk drivers are almost invariably set free because of the unavailability of proper breathalyser facilities on hand. The use of the Evidential Breathalysers will also help police officers eradicate the protracted and frustrating process involved in trying to prove that a driver has consumed liquor beyond the permissible limit. Currently, in order to ensure that a culprit is brought to book, the police are faced with the daunting task of locating the nearest local district surgeon or traffic department that is in possession of the appropriate Evidential Breathalysers. To make matters tedious for the law enforcement agencies, the blood sample has to then be sent to the forensic laboratories in Pretoria for analysis, a process that often proves favourable to the culprit as the results could take up to six months to be finalised. This often results in the acquittal of the accused in a court of law since the original alcohol content in the blood system diminishes with the passage of time. The need to act speedily in taking and testing blood samples has therefore become a vital area of concern to the Minister. Thus the issuing of Evidential Breathalysers to the SAPS will lead to effectively closing a critical loophole in the law enforcement process, and give more teeth to the KZN Department of Transport's Asiphephe - Zero Tolerance Road Safety Strategies. Two other key targets for the Minister are speeding and driver-fatigue. A comprehensive law enforcement programme with strategic road-blocks on select days throughout the holiday season will deal with speeding and other road violations, while rest facilities for tired drivers will be an essential part of the Department's road-user support programme. The Department's multi-pronged road safety and control package for the coming holiday season is one of the most comprehensive yet to be implemented for the province's road users. The highlights of the package are: RADIO MESSAGES This medium is aimed at reaching over 18,3 million listeners and comprises two distinct target audiences, viz., tourists/holidaymakers who will be visiting KZN, and local road users. OUTDOORS CAMPAIGNS The KZN Transport Department has commissioned a permanent billboard at Golela (Swaziland Border) to continuously communicate road safety messages to motorists entering KZN. Arrangements have also been made for:
TOLLGATE PROMOTIONS 180 000 Frisbees with relevant road safety messages will be handed out on the N3 at the Wilge, Mooi River and Marianhill Toll Plazas. With an average of four occupants per car, a further 720 000 road users will be reached in this way. 60 000 bags containing Christmas goodies will also be distributed at these points. FORECOURT TV This medium will reach 2 877 000 motorists and is targeted at holidaymakers from Gauteng prior to their embarking on their holiday journeys to KZN. Thirty large petrol stations in Midrand, Pretoria and the greater Johannesburg area have been further identified to drive home these road safety messages. LAW ENFORCEMENT The Department's Road Traffic Inspectorate, together with the SAPS, Durban Metro Police, the SANDF and the various municipalities, will stage co-ordinated, planned, as well as random, roadblocks and enforcement exercises throughout the province. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is determined to demonstrate to the people of this province and to its visitors that it takes road safety issues very seriously. There has been a phenomenal interest by various stakeholders and commerce and industry in contributing to the department's programme of trying to make our roads safe. These steps are merely a sample of the wide-ranging interventions to be implemented. The Minister at the launch will announce more details. All media are invited to attend and help publicise the Department's commitment to protecting lives. Please note picture opportunities.
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