Road accidents, often deadly, remain a scourge in Côte d’Ivoire. Every year, between 1,000 and 1,500 people lose their lives on the roads, according to the Ministry of Transport. December, a festive month, is also a critical period marked by an increase in accidents. In particular, drunk driving is the cause. To stem this scourge, the Ivorian authorities have just launched the “December against drunk driving” operation.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Abdoul Aziz Diallo
We are at the ADO roundabout, in the town of Cocody. It’s almost 11 p.m. The special road safety police carry out alcohol checks. Drivers are selected at random. If most pass the test without incident, this driver is pinned.
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The breathalyzer shows a rate of 0.42 g/l, lower than the authorized limit in Ivory Coastset at 0.80 g/l. The driver receives a verbal warning and promises to be extra vigilant.
“ I was just telling my friends: with alcohol controls, we have to reduce the drinking. We drank fewer beers than planned this evening. Fortunately, I’m below the threshold, but this will serve as a lesson to me. There is my life at stake and that of others. I will be more careful in the future “, he assures.
Reduce road accidents by 2025
Since the beginning of December, at least seven drivers have been checked with blood alcohol levels ranging from 0.93 to 1.65 g/l, well beyond the authorized threshold. These offenders face severe sanctions: between two months and one year of imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 to one million CFA francs. But that’s not all, “ when a user tests positive, he or she is referred to the public prosecutor’s office. His license is sent to the license withdrawal commission. This results in a withdrawal of points 6 points within the framework of the law on the points license », Warns Commissioner Dambelé Vassiriki.
Between road checks, awareness and sanctions, the objective is clear: to encourage drivers to adopt responsible behavior. “When you’ve been drinking, you don’t drive. When you drive, you don’t drink. The State is monitoring and implementing means to reduce the accident curve,” says divisional commissioner Touré Abdoul Kader, director of the special road safety police.
Côte d’Ivoire has set itself the objective of halving road accidents by 2025. Among the key measures: the introduction of the points license, the ban on importing vehicles over five years old and the generalization of video fines.