Pretoria – Ekurhuleni has opened its second Alcohol Evidence Centre (AEC) in Vosloorus on Friday.
The state-of-the-art AEC is funded by SAB at a cost of R1 million and is equipped with all the necessary equipment required by law enforcement officials to accurately and efficiently determine the breath alcohol level of a person suspected of driving under the influence.
Kempton Park is home to the region’s first AEC, launched in March 2010, and has successfully assisted in improving the number of convictions for DUIs and reducing such incidences in the area.
“As we go into the Easter holidays, we are now better equipped to make our roads safe for all and we are certain that the law enforcement agencies will make use of the facility to record and arrest those found to be driving under the influence,” said Member of Mayoral Committee for Community Safety in Ekurhuleni, Mthuthuzeli Siboza, at the opening.
He continued to explain how well-placed the facility was, given that Vosloorus lies on the border of the N3 freeway, one of the busiest national roads for those travelling from the south east of Johannesburg and is Gauteng’s major holiday route.
A third AEC is expected to be launched later this year on the eastern side of Ekurhuleni.
The AECs, which boast breathalyser equipment and specially trained personnel, have helped traffic authorities to far more efficiently and effectively process drivers suspected of being over the legal alcohol limit.
If a driver is found to be over the legal limit, they will be arrested and detained in a SAPS facility.
SAB has funded 15 AECs around the country. Thus far, more than 10 000 people have been processed through the AEC’s and arrested for driving under the influence. – BuaNews
