Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling during last week’s press briefing confirmed that local regulations do not yet account for the use of breathalysers to establish whether persons are driving under the influence. She said a blood test at the lab or hospital would be needed to legally determine whether the maximum alcohol percentage allowed by law was surpassed.
The latter obviously does not make the job of police to ensure a secure traffic any easier. Officers can apply an old-fashioned physical sobriety test to get an idea of people’s ability to responsibly operate a vehicle, but without readily accessible valid proof it becomes a time-consuming and tedious process.
The cabinet member for Soualiga Action Movement (SAM) mentioned that changing this has been discussed since St. Maarten attained country status per 10-10-10. However, no concrete decision apparently was ever taken and one is left wondering why.
Mind you, nobody wants residents and especially visitors who enjoy a glass or two but are still fit to sit behind the wheel to be unnecessarily bothered. Some reportedly even stopped dining on the French side for fear of the Gendarmes’ controls in this regard.
However, it cannot be so either that drunk driving is seen as being tolerated in the country. Make no mistake, the mere perception of such will embolden many to do just that thinking they won’t get caught, with all possible consequences.
The current situation is simply unacceptable in this day and age. The minister as well as parliamentarians are urged to prioritise addressing what may be considered a serious shortcoming, in the interest of safety on the public road.
