Wrecked Cars Initiative – the importance of not drinking and driving

Wrecked Cars Initiative – the importance of not drinking and driving

In April 2007, The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention (CADA) put in place a bold initiative to help drive home the possible consequences of drinking and driving. Working closely with the Bermuda Police Service, the Ministry of Works and Engineering and HWP, CADA identified locations around Bermuda and strategically placed severely damaged cars in these areas overnight. The objective of the exercise was to provide a strong visual reminder to the motoring public of the danger of drinking and driving.

The cars were placed in 16 locations during the early hours of Friday morning. The locations from east to west are:

St. George/St. Davids roundabout

Outside of Bailey’s Bay Post Office

Near the Shelly Bay Marketplace

John Smith’s Bay Park

The entrance to Pokiok Estate

The entrance to Vesey Street

Garthowen Road (across from the vegetable cart on Middle Road, Devonshire)

Palmetto Road/Barkers Hill roundabout

East Broadway

Trimingham Hill roundabout

Middle Road at Stowe Hill

South Shore Road, Paget – across from Coral Beach Club tennis courts

Middle Road at Warwick Pond

Entrance to Horseshoe Bay Beach

Barnes Corner

Port Royal, Southampton – next to the fire station

According to CADA Chairman, Mr. Anthony Santucci, “We selected the locations to gain maximum impact as we wanted to ensure that a large percentage of the traveling public were able to see the cars on their way to work and during the day as they move around the island.”

Mr. Santucci added, “We recognize most people who are arrested on suspicion of impaired driving are arrested on Saturdays and Sundays between the hours of 1.00am and 3.00am. Our goal is to remind people of the consequences of drinking and driving, particularly today, on no alcohol day.

“We continue to be concerned by 32 tragic deaths on Bermuda’s roads since January 2005. We know in 2005 more half of the road traffic fatalities had a drug and/or alcohol component. We remain committed to reminding the residents of Bermuda that alcohol related accidents and deaths shouldn’t happen and must not continue. We believe this bold step of placing damaged cars around Bermuda will continue to underscore the message of not drinking and driving,” stated Mr. Santucci.

Mr. Santucci also stated, “We worked closely with the Bermuda Police Service, the Ministry of Works and Engineering and the Recovery Manager at HWP to ensure that the locations selected to place the cars were high traffic areas and the placement of the cars did not cause unnecessary traffic delays or impede visibility or the flow of traffic during the rush hour. We also made sure that the cars used were not involved in traffic fatalities, out of respect to family members. I also must point out that while these cars were obviously involved in serious accidents these accidents weren’t necessarily alcohol-related.”

All the cars used have been written off and will be removed during the early hours of Saturday morning.

For more information about no alcohol day and other Alcohol Awareness Month activities contact CADA at 295 5982.