Zero-percent alcohol limit for South African drivers

The non-profit group Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) said to Business Tech that they support the government’s proposed zero-percent alcohol limit and drunk driving rules, but they warned that the regulations will need to be adapted accordingly to avoid wrongful convictions.

ALSO READ: How does resistance to disinfectants happen? We’re on the road to answering the question

The Changes

The changes, that are included as part of amendments to the National Road Traffic Act, will change the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.05 grams per 100ml to 0.00/100ml and the breath alcohol concentration from 0.24g/1000ml to zero as well.

The SAAPA said that one of the problems with this new zero-percent alcohol limit could be that drivers could face conviction even if they have not been drinking due to false positives’ taken by breathalyzers. They said that one of the potential difficulties in imposing a zero rate is that there could be a presence of alcohol in medicine and other products which will lead to a false positive.

Steps that could mitigate this problem include a sliding scale for infringements, such as:

0.0-0.02g/100ml – a warning for general and professional drivers;
0.02-0.05g/100ml – fine for general drivers, a demerit point on a license; criminal charge for a professional driver, the suspension of license;
Above 0.05g/100ml – criminal charge for all and suspension of license.

ALSO READ: South Africa needs to change direction on maternal health to solve child malnutrition