The Malaysian Insight

KUALA Lumpur police will meet with City Hall and nightspot owners soon to discuss making breathalysers available at their outlets to screen patrons as they take the fight against drink driving to the next level.

This is one of the measures police are looking into following an increase in the number of road fatalities caused by drunk drivers.

Currently, Kuala Lumpur police are arresting up to five drunk drivers daily as they step up enforcement. In January, 158 drivers were arrested in the capital for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic and Investigation Department chief Zulkefly Yahya told The Malaysian Insight that drink driving is one of the main causes of road accidents in the country.

Almost 30 traffic personnel are on duty daily to nab those driving under the influence of alcohol in the city.

The proposal to provide breathalysers, or screening device II (SDII), at entertainment outlets could reduce the number of cases involving drunk drivers, Zulkefly said.

“The owner of an outlet can advise his patron not to drive if the person’s alcohol content level exceeds the permitted level,” said Zulkefly.

This is already being practised in other countries, adding that local entertainment outlets could adopt the same precautions and safety measures.

“This is our proposal to avoid more accidents due to drink driving.

“We are making arrests on a daily basis… sometimes up to five arrests per day for drink driving.

“In January, we arrested 158 drivers and of this, 118 were charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The other 40 cases are still under investigation.”

He said 828 individuals were arrested last year for driving under the influence of alcohol, and 735 in 2018.

As for police procedure when it comes to arresting a drunk driver, Zulkefly said the process starts with the driver being checked on the spot using a hand-held breathalyser.

“If the alcohol content is high, the person is then taken to a police station for further checks. At the police station, we use the evidential breath-analyser (EBA) to confirm the alcohol level.

“The EBA will produce readings that can be used as evidence in court. If the driver fails the initial test and the EBA test, he will then undergo a urine check.”

He said there were cases of suspects not cooperating but added that at least one of the three tests will confirm whether a person’s alcohol level is over the legal driving limit. – February 21, 2020.