Drunk Driving is Not an Accident.
It is a Choice.

WHAT IS SADD?

SOUTH AFRICANS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING is an NPO organization -Reg. No 055-255.

It was founded by the Alcohol and Drug Educator and Counsellor, and Psychiatric Social Worker, Caro Smit, after her 23year old son, Chas, was killed in September 2005, by a driver who had been drinking.

SADD is not about anger and revenge - it is about the future, bringing down deaths and injuries, & saving families distress & heartache. It could also be called S.A. Against Dangerous Driving/Destructive Decisions - as we deal with Seatbelt Use, Speeding & Youth and others drinking too much alcohol and driving dangerously.

SADD is abt supporting victims & their families after drunk driving crashes, and offering advice for court.

SADD is part of the “Decade of Action for Road Safety”,‘MAKE ROADS SAFE,” & the International WHO NPO: “Global Alliance of NGO’s Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims.” World Day of Rembrance of crash .Victims  celebrated.

AWARD

2012 SADD received a Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award for the University Project .

2006, in recognition of her efforts, Caro won South Africa’s premier recognition of road safety initiatives, the Evert van Niekerk C.A.R.S. “Road Safety Achievement of the Year Award”, beating OutSurance.

OBJECTIVE       

The main objective of SADD is to create awareness of the Drinking then Driving problem in South Africa and to try to combat the use of alcohol and drugs by road users by working with the authorities to enforce the laws governing this abuse more strictly, and to educate the public about alcohol and drinking and driving/walking. SADD calls for Drink Drivers to have their Licenses taken away or have mandatory Alcohol Ignition Interlocks fitted to their vehicles & get alcohol education and/or treatment. All Taxi, heavy trucks and Buses should have Alcolocks fitted. SADD has put convicted Drink Drivers names in Newspapers in KZN since 2006. This has been adopted by Dept of Transport nationally, and has already been rolled out in the Western Cape. SADD are working with KZN DoT, & are naming all KZN offenders.

SADD is Project based, using Best Practice Models as per the World Health Organization and GRSP’s Manuals.

SADD is doing work all the time, rather than just talking and attending Meetings. This is to reach the whole of South Africa especially though the website. SAB/SADD’s 2008/09/10/11/12 University Drinking Projectis teaching about alcohol abuse & drinking then driving in 10 SA Universities. SADD’s 2011 two Lotto funded Projects got “Alcohol, Drink Driving & Road Safety” Manuals into 1,680 KZN Schools as well as training the staff to use them; and trained Taxi Managers in 20 districts in the Taxi Driver Road Safety Project in KZN(including Manuals & DVD’s & pamphlets for drivers/owners. )

2013 plans are: Seatbelt/drink driving project in PMB; developing Manuals/posters for Clinics & Hospitals; getting Pamphlets for convicted Drink Drivers throughout SA; training Counsellors to run Offender programs; CycleSafe KZN & making Schools alcohol free.

REASON

Every year in South Africa, about 18 000 people are killed and 150 000 injured in car crashes. Half of these are caused by alcohol, this percentage being actually twice the world average.  Many of these victims are under the age of 30.This figure is predicted to rise by 80% by 2020. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and runners are especially at risk.

The main problem is that the implementation of the South African drinking and driving laws are terribly forgiving.  SA laws are amongst the best in the world. The South African Road Traffic Act allows a 10 year sentence for drink driving, removal of licenses, and a R180 000 fine, however the reality is very different, and tough and prohibitive sentences are not given .

At present most of the major role players in South African Road Safety are not effective enough. This includes the Government Departments such as Justice, the traffic authorities and the road users themselves. We have been described as a nation who has no commitment to being responsible for our actions on the roads.  Until the laws are properly enforced, South Africans will still think it is acceptable to drink then drive, to not wear seatbelts, to speed, etc.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We cannot and don’t have to wait for Government to act.  As citizens we can make a difference by not committing crime on the road, by educating the public about the danger of drink driving and that a Road Traffic Incident involving a drink driver is not an accident, it is a choice. BECOME A MEMBER& join SADD (Go to Website - “Join SADD”) - help us, work with us, represent us in your area. There are already some tools in place i.e. breathalyzers, Buddy Buses, Goodfellas, Roadtrip, but access to these tools needs to be made known and easier. We can and must educate South Africans about DES’s - designated drivers- about “Units of Alcohol” and social responsibility, the slow elimination rates of alcohol, and also the importance of being a role model.

Drink driving is out of hand in this country and somebody needs to make a difference and SADD is prepared to try and do just that.  To see more about SADD,its projects, and its objectives and the work it is doing visit the website www.sadd.org.za .

HOW?

As there is no government funding for SADD, we need to use other means to communicate to the ordinary South African the dangers

of drink driving and to do this we need money.  SADD is a Section 21 CompanyReg.: 2006/024402/08, NPO No. 055/255, and PBO No.: 9300023011.Promote AlcoFreeFeb™ www.alcofreefeb.co.za or Sideburn September www.sideburnseptember.co.za . Donations are Tax Deductible.   No donation is too big or too small.

Acct. details:  SADD. NedBank. Branch Code 13 40 25. Acct.1340 547 287

WHY?  

Drink Driving is a CRIME, and we need to fight crime in SA.

The statistics show that innocent people die needlessly every day as a result of drink driving/walking.

We have the right to be safe on the roads, and not be killed /injured by Drink Drivers.

Who knows who the next victim will be?  It could be someone we don’t know, someone we know, someone in our close network of friends, someone in our family.   It could even be you!  Drink Driving is a crime as serious as murder.    It is very preventable.                    HELP US PLEASE!  Contacts: E Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   Cell: 082 82 136 73     Tel: 033 3470103.  Fax:  086 517 1363.