South Africa: It’s time you started shaming your friends into not driving drunk
Staff Writer
March 25, 2018
As incidents of drunk driving get steadily worse in South Africa, there is hope that the new motorist demerit system which is on its way will help convince people to kick the habit – but more needs to be done, socially, to make perpetrators feel bad about doing it in the first place.
This is according to Rhys Evans, Director at ALCO-Safe, who says that attitudes towards drunk driving in South Africa are still not at a level where people take the act seriously, and don’t consider the potential consequences of doing it.
“South African drivers are notoriously irresponsible when it comes to drinking and driving,” Evans said.
“The people who get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence tend to either genuinely believe they are sober enough to drive, or they are inebriated enough to believe in their own invincibility.
“They don’t generally consider the possibility of causing or being involved in an accident – and the thought of being pulled over isn’t terrifying enough in the face of the prevalence of corruption and bribery. As such, they drive drunk anyway.”
Drunk driving happens every year, especially around the holidays, and is getting steadily worse. Despite ramped up awareness campaigns, highly publicised death toll statistics and the imminent threat of a demerit system, drivers continue to get behind the wheel after having imbibed too much alcohol.
“Drunk driving is an ongoing problem in South Africa that no amount of media coverage seems to be curbing.”
Traffic laws and the demerit system
Traffic laws and increased road blocks are somewhat of a deterrent, as is the knowledge that insurance companies will not pay out in the event of an accident caused by a drunk driver, Evans said. However, this is unfortunately not enough, and the marketing around the insurance component is not visible enough for drivers to sit up and take notice.
“So, if the current system and awareness campaigns aren’t cutting it, what will work to bring down the terrifying death-toll statistics, and how can South Africans be a part of implementing a country-wide attitude shift towards driving under the influence of alcohol?”
According to Evans, the pending demerit system should bring about some positive changes in the number of drunk drivers on our roads.
“When the system is implemented, people are likely to be more careful of the way they drive. The possibility of having your license suspended or taken away for good, is definitely a deterrent for driving drunk.”
Evans said that people may still likely take chances in the initial stages of the demerit system, until they have their first points deducted – only then will they start realising the gravity of possibly losing their license.
However, the concern is that there is no set date for the demerit system to be in effect, so drivers are still relatively unconcerned about the consequences right now.
“The effectiveness of the system will only be determined once it is implemented and working. However, Evans believes that we should see a slow shift in driving behaviour when it happens,” Evans said.
Giving drunk driving a bad reputation
In the meantime, Evans said that people should start being less lenient about driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances within their own circles, saying that if the idea of drunk driving loses its ‘cool’ or ‘rebel’ associations, it is more likely to be considered distasteful and frowned upon.
“In countries such as the UK, there is an aura of distaste around people who opt to drive drunk. It is socially frowned upon, and friends actively discourage allowing their friends to get behind the wheel after having a few drinks,” Evans said.
“We should adopt the same mindset towards driving drunk in South Africa, where friends don’t let friends drive drunk, and where people who do risk drunk driving are treated as social pariahs.”
Evans said this is similar to the way in which many people now view those who offer bribes. In many circles, there is a slowly emerging trend where people who admit to offering bribes are not always celebrated, but a few people will openly criticise them. The same attitude should be adopted with drunk driving.
“Unfortunately, most friends will wag a teasing finger and gently, half-jokingly chastise those friends who admit to driving while under the influence. However, this criticism is not usually taken seriously. If a person is made to genuinely feel bad about their reckless behaviour, it will only be a matter of time before they start to change that behaviour,” Evans said.