The Guyana Police Force (GPF) traffic ranks took several persons into custody last night for driving above the prescribed alcohol limit during the first White Knight campaign.
The White Knight campaign is a collaborative effort of the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) and the GPF. The aim of the campaign is to team education awareness with enforcement during strategic roadblocks across the country.
At the roadblock on Vlissengen Road and Station Street, Georgetown in A Division, police ranks were administering random breathalyser tests on drivers while the GNRSC members and other stakeholders distributed magazines, pamphlets and encouraged drivers to be safe on the roadways.
According to a report from the Government Information Agency, several drivers were observed taking the breathalyser test and five of them, including a driver who stopped and volunteered to take the test, were found above the prescribed alcohol limit, which is a traffic violation that carries a fine for the charge of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol. Members of the GNRSC spoke to the drivers about the dangers of their practice before they were taken to the nearest police station. One driver could be overhead telling one GRNSC member, “I don’t do this often. Is only on Fridays I does drink.”
Coordinator of the GNRSC Ramona Doorgen said the aim of the campaign is “to encourage them not to drink and drive. We’re asking them to come on board with us and let us reduce death (on the roadways)…so we won’t have any more deaths on the road for the rest of the year.”
Doorgen said the drivers her team have interacted with have been “very receptive” to the campaign and the efforts of the GNRSC to make the roads safe.
In A Divison, roadblocks were also held at Sparendaam on the East Cost of Demerara and Houston on the East Bank of Demerara.
Traffic Chief Dion Moore, who was present at the Vlissengen Road roadblock, said it was observed that several drivers had designated drivers when they passed through the roadblock.
The White Knight campaign is part of activities for the observance of National Road Safety Month which is being observed under the theme: “Life does not have a reset button, drive carefully”. The Traffic Chief said another nationwide roadblock will be carried out as part of the campaign “in different areas and with a different tactic”.
For the year there have been 109 deaths as a result of accidents on the roadways. Driving under the influence and speeding along with inattentiveness are the leading causes of accidents, Police statistics reveal.
