The Traffic Department is still awaiting the arrival of breathalyzers that were promised four years ago, confirms Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rodney Ellis.
Since 2018, when the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act was amended, the Police were promised that these devices would be imported for their use. The breathalyzer machines were intended to detect persons who were driving while intoxicated.
Ellis, who heads the Traffic Department, says discussions about the devices’ arrival were held as recently as July with the Administration.
Over the years, several excuses – including the COVID-19 pandemic – have been offered to explain why the breathalyzers have never been delivered.
Asked to comment on this situation, a retired officer tells REAL News it is “a crying shame” that this promise has not been realized, given the amount of money the Administration has spent “on other schemes, like the E-books and the concrete bases for street lights they never even put up.”
He points to the number of serious traffic collisions the country has seen over the last two years, including a fatal accident on Sunday morning, and said it is critical that drivers be tested for intoxication.
“You can’t expect traffic officers to do their job properly without the tools,” he grumbled. “This is big-big Police Week, and up to now – nothing to report,” he says in disgust.- REAL NEWS
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A…is it a fact, that a driver who’s involved in a traffic accident can refuse a breathalyser test?
B…why aren’t blood and urine samples taken during serious traffic accidents?
C…why aren’t major roadways demarcated with proper lane markings?
I ask these questions due to the fact, that I was recently involved in a minor traffic accident. It was clear from the behavior of the other driver, that something was amiss. His speech, mannerisms etc were all observed to be not ‘normal.’ However, according to the investigating officers who came to do the investigations, they have no right to request a breathalyser test from either one of us, and even if they did, where are the equipment(s) to perform the tests?
Has anybody ever been prosecuted in Antigua for DUI? Can persons be arrested for drink driving? I have lived here for 13 years and never ever read of arrests or prosecutions for drink/drug driving. So why would the police need breathalyzer machines? They would never get used, they need to implement the laws first then buy the machines.
The ASP referred to the many serious road accidents that occurred over the past two years. I am supposing that he would also consider those accidents in which the driver might have died or been hospitalised. My question would be, were there any blood samples that were requested from the hospital for these persons? That information could be placed in the article to at least support his claim that they were alcohol related?
How would the breath analyzer test if you were HIGH from other Stuff?
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