Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 25, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom):Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a significant public health problem that not only affects the alcohol user but also other parties such as passengers and pedestrians.
This according to Sergeant Sophia Henry from the Traffic Department during her appearance on the ZIZ radio programme “On the Road” on Wednesday(May 24, 2023).
She stated that driving while under the influence of alcohol is a serious crime that can result in an accident.
“Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, whether it’s a car, a truck, a motorcycle or any other motorized vehicle after consuming alcohol is a serious crime. It impairs the person’s ability to have control of the vehicle, and sometimes this can result in a crash or a road traffic accident. When this happens, sometimes persons will come out with injury, death or disability.”
Inspector Karlene Phipps who is also from the Traffic Department outlined all the driving under the influence offences.
“If a person drives a motor vehicle, if he attempts to drive, if he or she is in charge of that vehicle on a road having consumed such a quantity that the proportion of his/her blood exceeds the prescribed limit or if he or she is under the influence of drinks or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle.”
She also mentioned the prescribed limit of alcohol one can consume in order to operate a vehicle according to the law.
“The prescribed limit for driving under the influence is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. In the urine, it’s 107 milligrams in 100 millilitres of urine.”
Inspector Phipps noted that in the Federation the most commonly used method to test for alcohol is through blood and urine samples.
She also mentioned that any police officer in uniform conducting a routine traffic stop can request a blood sample or alcohol test.