The Guyana Police Force (GPF) recently released statistics showing that a total of 41,358 cases of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) were made out against errant drivers between January 1 and April 22, 2024.
Of this number, 449 were brought before the courts, with the Police securing 153 convictions.
The remaining 248 cases are currently engaging the attention of the court. The Police also added that the fines and revenue derived from the court process amounted to $11,188,000.
Further, a total of 585 warrants have been executed in connection with DUI cases, contributing to law enforcement’s proactive measures in ensuring accountability.
In parallel, initiatives focusing on traffic education and public awareness have been implemented to combat the prevalence of DUI incidents. Among these efforts, 366 lectures were delivered to schools, engaging 38,969 attendees, including 5964 drivers.
These educational endeavours according to the Police Force aim to instill responsible behaviour among future drivers and cultivate a culture of safety on the roads.
Additionally, 66 lectures were conducted at bars and corporate entities, reaching 1777 individuals. This outreach strategy targets adults in social settings, where alcohol consumption often occurs.
Just three days ago, the Police Force was educating the public about amendments to the various laws relating to drunk driving and in this regard, particularly pleading with bar owners to abide by the new legislation which prohibits them from selling alcohol to drivers.
In 2022, amendments were made to the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act as well as the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act to prevent drunk driving and carnage on the roadways.
Under the amended Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act, licence holders are mandated to impose obligations on drivers at their establishments and are required to play a more active role in the prevention of drinking and driving.
Among other things, it specifically assigns responsibility to the licence holders to prohibit drunkenness on the licensed premises and to not sell, give or barter intoxicating liquor to a drunken person.
The licence holder is also required not to sell liquor to a person knowing they are likely to leave the premises by driving, unless that person has identified a designated driver.
They are also required not to sell any person identified as a designated driver and to inform the nearest Police Station and request their immediate assistance in cases where a drunken person is attempting to drive.
Fines for breaches of these obligations by the licence holder amount to $100,000 for the first offence, and $200,000 for a second offence.
