Focus on issues of impaired driving
Drive for Change is dedicating the month of March to the issues surrounding impaired driving.
The Royal Gazette road safety campaign’s Impaired Driving Awareness Month opens today with a moving film on our website, featuring quadriplegic Curtis Dill, who explains how driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs tragically impacted his life.
Throughout the course of the month, we will delve into the causes and solutions of the problem, while sharing the expertise of those who are on the front line, including members of the Bermuda Police Service roads policing unit, EMT services, drug and alcohol abuse stakeholders, and those who provide transport services.
An estimated 75 per cent of road fatalities involve alcohol or drugs and 118 people have died in traffic incidents in the past decade. Scores more were injured — close to 15,000 crashes happened in that time, resulting in one in five people being admitted to ER for treatment.
Drive for Change is advocating for non-selective roadside sobriety testing while highlighting the need for guaranteed transport after hours.
The Government also announced a Green Paper on transport last week and is exploring improvements to the public transport system that could help supplement stronger laws and enforcement.
Drive for Change has three main objectives: advocating for the introduction of non-selective roadside sobriety testing, speed cameras and a graduated licensing programme to better prepare inexperienced riders for the road.
Over the next few months, we will focus on issues including speed awareness, poor driving, better training, police resources and legislative requirements.
An impaired driving launch event is planned for Friday lunchtime on the steps of City Hall, where leading stakeholders in Bermuda’s road safety community will speak and information will be provided on alternatives ways to get home after a night out.
Impaired driving has destroyed so many lives in Bermuda that we all have a stake in joining the cause.
• Event details will be posted online facebook.com/driveforchange.rg.bm.For more information e-mail driveforchange@royalgazette.com
The Royal Gazette’s Drive for Change campaign is due to launch it’s Impaired Driving Awareness Month next Friday on the steps of City Hall.
The event was postponed last week owing to poor weather conditions. What we have planned will inform but also hit home. It will make you stop and think twice about driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that evening or any time in the future.
It marks the launch of the campaign’s Impaired Driving Awareness Month which will focus on the problems and solutions surrounding Bermuda’s high rates of drug and drink-driving. The event will also provide an opportunity for members of the public to sign up to the campaign and support the movement for safer roads.
The Royal Gazette invites the public to attend the launch on the steps of Hamilton City Hall between noon and 2pm.
In the event of inclement weather, an alternative launch date will be arranged.
• Visit driveforchange.rg.bm to find out more.
