Drink driving stats are falling to encouraging levels, but hiccups remain. By Ramesh William
Last month’s crackdown on illegal racing along Orchard Road raised a set of worrying questions. Why didn’t the Traffic Police, who were aware of the high-speed racers in the area, take action sooner? Or, what if one of the drivers were under the influence of alcohol, lost control of his car and crashed into an innocent group of bystanders? As it turned out, none of the drivers, thankfully, were found with illegal amounts of alcohol in their blood.
Because when it comes to drink driving, the Traffic Police takes no chances.
Through aggressive educational and promotional incentives and some of the
stiffest penalties anywhere in the world, the government body, alongside alcohol
companies and entertainment venues, are slowly but surely wrestling the drink
driving demon to the ground.
The statistics coming out of the Ministry of
Home Affairs are encouraging. Compared to previous years, the number of drink
driving arrests fell markedly in 2008—dropping from a 10-year high in 2007
(4,010) to 3,586, while the number of drink driving accidents fell from 188 in
2007 to 179 last year.
The positive trend has continued this year with
2009’s first quarter registering 688 arrests when compared to 2008 (851) and
2007 (915). But within the optimistic-looking figures, lies a more macabre
number. The number of deaths rose last year—22 compared to 2007’s 15. Remember
Mark Twain’s quip about lies, damned lies and statistics, well it seems you can
almost file the above stats in that drawer.
The Traffic Police, however,
is not letting its guard slip. “While we’ve made relentless efforts in our fight
against drink driving, we are very concerned that there were more drink driving
deaths on our roads last year when compared to the previous year,” says
Inspector Ivan Choo of the Police Public Affairs Department. “We will continue
to collaborate with the various entertainment outlets to drive home the
anti-drink drive message ... and also our effective ring-fencing strategy and
our numerous educational initiatives.”
Ring-fencing is the strategy of
road-blocking all routes out of major drinking and entertainment areas, and has
been credited with driving down the number of drink driving cases.
What does this mean then? Do we take heart from fewer arrests or raise a concerned eyebrow in the direction of more deaths on the road? Are our responsible drinking campaigns actually working?
Three Way Partnership
The authorities are also
working with alcohol distributors and entertainment venues to hammer home the
point that drinking and driving don’t mix and, in fact, are absolute taboo.
Marquee entertainment venues like Zouk are among those who collaborate
with the Police to educate the public on the perils of getting behind the wheel
stupefied. “We work very closely with the Traffic Police in promoting anti-drink
drive campaigns,” says Zouk’s Marketing Manager Mari Muramoto. “Posters
conveying such messages are put up within the club premises especially in the
toilets to create greater awareness and to serve as a further reminder to
patrons.” The club also has one wall mounted breathalyzer for patrons to check
whether they’re in any fit condition to drive home, and three handheld
breathalyzers that are administered by the valets to check on driving patrons.
Even smaller nightspots like Balaclava in Suntec City and Wala Wala in
Holland Village work with the authorities to put up anti drink drive posters
throughout their premises. The most prominent Traffic Police-fronted anti-drink
drive campaign in recent times has been the “shock tactic” method of using gory
images of accidents with “drink familiar” taglines like “Bloody Mary,” “One for
the Road” and “On the Rocks.”
“We’ve got Traffic Police posters
prominently displayed in both our bars,” says Carol-Anne Wah of Wala Wala and
Balaclava. “But the most effective enforcers of the responsible drinking
campaigns are our staff—they’ll look after you and even stop serving you if they
feel you’ve had one too many drinks.”
Wah also says that it has partnered
with Diageo, the holding company of its whiskey house pour Johnnie Walker, to
give away taxi vouchers to patrons who buy bottles of the premium Scotch. The
company behind well-known alcohol brands like Guinness, Smirnoff and Jose
Cuervo, Diageo is at the forefront of the battle against anti-drink drive
message and trumpets responsible drinking at every given opportunity.
Through its “Guardian Angel” and “Join the Pact” campaigns, Diageo collaborates
with entertainment venues and the authorities to ensure no stone goes unturned
in this tripartite fight against drink driving. “We have a long track record of
supporting anti-drink driving initiatives in many countries,” says Lin Menuhin,
alcohol and responsibility director for Diageo Asia Pacific. “The ‘Guardian
Angel’ campaign is one of many similar responsible drinking initiatives we have
developed to educate consumers about drinking responsibly and abstaining from
getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.
Meanwhile, Asia
Pacific Breweries (APB), which has alcohol brands like Tiger Beer and Heineken,
has been equally at the fore of the campaign against drink driving, rolling out
a slew of responsible drinking initiatives over the years. “As a responsible
corporate citizen and the leading brewer in Singapore, we see our involvement in
these campaigns and programs as an essential component of the company’s
corporate social responsibility efforts,” says Frazer Neo-Macken, APB’s
spokesperson. “We seek to educate the public about drinking responsibly as well
as promote a positive drinking experience for all.”
In 2007, Tiger
introduced the “Know Your Limit” initiative, where breathalyzers were provided
at venues St. James Power Station and Zouk. In 2008, it introduced, with the
support of Traffic Police, the Tiger “Don’t Drink and Drive. It’s EZ” initiative
where drivers can redeem complimentary EZ-Link cards so that they can take
public transport home.
“By introducing such initiatives, we believe that
we provide drivers with a choice and an alternative to go home safely after a
night out, and a reminder that one should never drink and drive as there are
available alternatives,” adds Neo-Macken.
Going it
Alone
Some clubs like Zirca at Clarke Quay choose to go it alone
when promoting the anti-drink drive message. “Zirca has not started promoting
anti-drink driving messages on our premises, but we are definitely glad to do so
if a suitable partner comes along and works with us on the campaign,” says
Zirca’s marketing spokesperson Lim Yi Fang. “On the ground, our operations
managers, floor staff and front office managers will often advise our guests
[who appear seemingly drunk] to go for the valet services just outside Zirca,
which is run by CapitaLand [which runs Clarke Quay], or call a cab back for the
guests who do not drive.”
The club is also proactive when it suspects that
a driving patron may have had one too many drinks. “Based on our operations
team’s experience, they are usually able to spot customers who have had too many
drinks to drive,” says Lim. “However, for those who can hold their drinks but
exceed the legal alcohol limit, the best way to monitor will be through a
breathalyzer.”
But sometimes monitoring alone is not effective in crowded establishments. “Come work at our bars; we can’t monitor everything,” says Balaclava and Wala Wala’s Carol-Anne Wah. “But it’s very easy to monitor regular guests once you get a hang of who drives and who doesn’t. If we see someone really tipsy, we take their car keys away. Seriously, we’ve done it before to regulars...or we call their friends.”
Areas of Concern
But having posters and enforcers are not
enough, as the onus is on patrons to be responsible for their own actions. A
restaurateur, who requested that his name be withheld, said that it is not
uncommon for customers at both his establishments to order a couple of bottles
of wine with their meal and drive off after that.
“Most people think that
only those who are at nightspots are prone to drink driving,” he says. “I have
seen people who, after a consuming half a bottle of wine, stagger up from their
seats after a meal. Not a single one has ever accepted my offer—this has been
the case for a few years now—of calling them a cab; some even get hyper
aggressive when I ask them if they’re any fit condition to drive.”
It’s
precisely because of episodes like these that he feels that the effectiveness of
the Traffic Police’s ring-fencing policy may be limited. “Both my restaurants
are outside the entertainment areas; one’s in the east, the other in the north,”
he says. “My customers know that a couple of glasses of wine can take them over
the legal limit but they also know that they’re unlikely to encounter any
roadblocks, especially if they don’t live far away.”
Others too point out
that the anti-drink driving measures and campaigns must be sustained outside the
festive periods and include areas outside of the city’s main entertainment hubs.
A regular pubgoer and father of three, Sebastian Wee, says that he feels with the economy in poor shape, more may be drinking elsewhere outside the main entertainment belts and urges the authorities to take note of possible worrying trends. “We’ve already seen reports stating that many are staying away from bars and nightclubs, as people don’t want to spend too much money in this economic recession,” says Wee. “I know many who are drinking at cheaper places like at coffee shops or at friends’ homes. Right now the campaigns and the Traffic Police seem too focused on places like Zouk, Clarke Quay or the Dempsey area, when the reality is there are just as many people drinking at coffee shops in Woodlands and driving home to Ang Mo Kio. They are equally a threat too, and must be targeted in Traffic Police’s drink driving outreach programs.”
Targeted Campaigns
Wee, who has two children in their
‘20s and a teenager, also feels that anti-drink drive campaigns should
aggressively target youths, more so than they are now. “What’s the first thing
youngsters do when they get their license?” asks Wee. “They go out and party!
And you think he or she is going to stand around and be the teetotal designated
driver on that night? Fat chance. Also remember that these kids, unlike adults,
have a lower tolerance to alcohol and spirits.”
It is precisely because of
this worrying trend that companies like Diageo and APB have rolled out
youth-centric campaigns. APB’s Neo-Macken says that the company launched Get
Your Sexy Back (GYSB), a youth-led moderate drinking campaign aimed at promoting
responsible drinking among young adults by raising the social currency of
moderation.
“The initial campaign launch in December 2007 was very well
received,” he says. “And we have since October 2008 expanded GYSB into a
full-fledged program driven by enthusiastic youth volunteers, and reaching out
to young people through events and activities that are relevant to them.”
Meanwhile, Diageo has partnered with Manchester United and drivers from Formula
One racing outfit McClaren Mercedes, like current and former world champions
Lewis Hamilton and Mika Hakkinen respectively, in an obvious effort to target
testosterone-fuelled party-going male drivers.
“The Johnnie Walker ‘JOIN
THE PACT Never Drink and Drive’ campaign is one of our most high-profile
responsible drinking campaigns to date,” says Diageo’s Menuhin. “The campaign
asks consumers to make a personal pledge to never drink and drive and the
response has been overwhelming, so we know that consumers are really taking the
message to heart.”
Menuhin also adds that in order for his company’s
responsible drinking campaigns to work, they must be trendy and innovative to
appeal to their target audience. “We try to make sure the responsible drinking
message is delivered in a way that a more dynamic consumer group can relate to
it,” says Menuhin. “We also try to stress that we’re not discouraging people
from drinking or having fun, we just want consumers to stay safe and make smart
decisions.”
Old Habits Die Hard
Despite the
campaigns and initiatives, there are those who still persist in driving home; if
only because most drive to nightspots in the first place.
“Actually, most
don’t mind taking a cab home,” says Ben (not his real name). “It’s just getting
to these places on Friday and Saturday nights can be so troublesome. It’s always
a bitch to get cabs after seven, eight o’clock on these nights; the surcharges
are ridiculous and drivers get grumpy when you ask them to make a stop to pick
up your friends. So who wouldn’t want to just drive there themselves when they
have a car?”
Ben says he stops at three beers when he drives to these
places, and makes sure he paces his drinks, so that he doesn’t get “slammed” by
the effects of alcohol—even though he may well be over the drink driving limit.
Another regular pubgoer, Alan Tan, says that while he never drives to such
places, he can understand why people would feel uncomfortable leaving their cars
there. “Some aren’t really aware of the establishments’ policies,” says Tan.
“They feel that if they leave their cars there overnight, they would incur a
huge bill, or worse, get their cars towed away.”
Zouk’s Mari Muramoto says
the club goes out of its way to ensure that patrons who drive need not be too
concerned about driving home. “Our security and valets are all instructed to
call for taxis for the patrons and to allow drivers who have had too much to
drink to leave their cars parked overnight at no charge,” she says. “Valet
services are also provided free of charge to drive patrons home when they are
unable to do so, and a nominal charge for transport is usually recommended for
the valet to return to Zouk.”
Joyce Wee, the daughter of Sebastian Wee, says that it still baffles her as to how people continue with such irresponsible behavior. “I’m absolutely dumbfounded when I see people who can afford cars, but don’t want to spend less than 20 dollars to take a cab home,” she says. “If they don’t value their lives, it’s their problem, but if they show no consideration to those around them and endanger innocent lives, they should be locked up for a very long time—and be banned from driving for life.”
Tougher Penalties
The Traffic Police has upped its
penalties in recent years and will continue to be heavy-handed with motorists
who flout the law.
“We would like to once again remind the public that
drink driving is a very serious offence and the penalties are severe,” says
Inspector Ivan Choo of the Police Public Affairs Department. “Even if the
driver’s alcohol content in his blood or breath does not go beyond the legal
limit, he can still be charged for drink driving if he is unable to control his
vehicle properly.”
Drink drivers, on conviction, will be disqualified from
driving for at least 12 months, which would, in effect, invalidate their driving
licenses. In addition, first-time offenders can be fined between $1,000 and
$5,000, or jailed up to six months, while repeat offenders may be punished with
a maximum fine of $30,000 and a mandatory jail term of up to three years.
Wala Wala’s Carol-Anne Wah says that severe punitive measures in this economic
climate are making Singaporeans really think twice about driving under
influence. “I think Singaporeans just don’t want to lose their license,” she
says. “With the police force enforcing things around town, you really wouldn’t
want to mess with them.”
So, to some extent, the mixture of “shock tactic”
advertising, the heavy fines, better policing and proactive measures by the
nightlife industry as a whole have led to this present downturn in drink driving
cases.
“I think a lot of credit is also due to the fantastic partners we
work with, including the traffic police and responsible outlet owners,” says
Diageo’s Menuhin. “Awareness of the importance of responsible drinking has
increased dramatically over the past few years and a lot of stakeholders have
really stepped up their commitment to ensuring alcohol is enjoyed responsibly.”
So while the stats tell an encouraging story about the drink driving in
Singapore, the message of responsible drinking must be sustained throughout the
year, through different mediums and at locations islandwide.
This view is
echoed by APB’s Neo-Macken. He says, “The anti-drink driving message must be a
continuous effort and we’re confident that together with our partners, we keep
increasing the levels of awareness among drivers about the dangers of drink
driving every year.”
Know the Law
A person can be
convicted of drink driving under the Road Traffic Act in the following two
instances:
1) If a driver is found with more than 35 micrograms of alcohol
per 100 ml of breath, or more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood,
he has broken the law, whether or not he has perfect control of the vehicle when
caught.
2) If the driver’s alcohol level is under the legal limit, the driver
can still be convicted if it is shown that he did not have proper control of the
vehicle as a result of alcoholic intoxication.
As a guide, about four units
of alcohol for men and three units for women per hour is all that is required
before one is legally unfit to drive. Compare these units to a single measure of
spirits (one unit), strong lager (three units), standard lager (two units) and a
small glass of wine (average 1.5 units) and you will realize just how little you
need to drink before being over the limit.
Talk to an
Angel
Diageo launched the Diageo Guardian Angel program in 2007,
where winged ambassadors spread the anti-drink driving message at high profile
nightspots during the festive season. We talk one of the Angels—model Amanda
Swa.
What is your main role as a Diageo Angel?
As an angel, I
champion the responsible drinking message. Our role as Angels is to communicate
that in a fresh and dynamic way. The message to consumers is that drinking and
driving is selfish and irresponsible. We take our message to the streets and
nightspots and talk to consumers face-to-face. We don’t want to stop people from
going out and having a good time, but we do want them to be responsible.
Ultimately, we want them to think about the dangers of drink driving and to take
on the message: If you drink, don’t drive.
What are some of the more interesting reactions you get from patrons
when you approach them with the responsible drinking message?
Most
people smile when they see us approaching them and for the most part they are
genuinely willing to listen. Some are more interested in taking photos with us,
quite a few ask to try on our wings and some have even offered to buy us drinks.
But I would say the best reaction is when people really take the message to
heart. When we first launched the campaign, on our very first night out, we had
a guy hand his car keys to his friend and promised to take a taxi home. That was
an amazing moment that really made me believe we could make a real difference
with this campaign.
How do you handle patrons who are clearly
inebriated?
We’ve always been polite and friendly. We’re not out to
lecture people, we just want to remind them to stay safe.
What
would you like to tell people who still insist on drinking and
driving?
I would tell them there is simply no excuse for drink
driving. If you drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself in danger,
you are also endangering everyone else on the road. No matter how expensive the
taxi ride home, it will never cost you as much as drink driving.