Rethink Your Drink urges safer choices as festive season road deaths rise

With an average of over 1,500 people losing their lives on the country’s roads between December and January, public health campaign Rethink Your Drink is calling on South Africans to be smarter this festive season.

Campaign Manager Kashifa Ancer says the link between alcohol and fatalities is stark, with driver intoxication responsible for over a quarter of all fatal crashes in the country.

The festive season provides a ‘stress test’ for South Africa’s alcohol policies. 

“We know that if we had stronger alcohol policies in place that were being implemented throughout the year, the festive season wouldn’t be such a devastating period when it comes to alcohol.”

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She argues that the country’s normalisation of drinking and drinking culture is a major contributor to this issue, with many viewing it as acceptable to drink and then get behind the wheel.

Rethink Your Drink advocates for stricter laws and enforcement to mitigate the risk associated with alcohol consumption.

It is not only the responsibility of the individual, but also about creating sober environments.

“The challenge in South Africa is that drinking and being under the influence of alcohol is deeply normalised and also socially tolerated,” she says.

RELATED: Speeding and dangerous overtaking lead to multiple fatalities this festive season

To listen to Ancer in conversation with CapeTalk’s Sara-Jayne Makwala King (in for Clarence Ford), click the audio player below: