08 Nov 2018 An elite new team needs your help
Drunk driving is a major cause of road accidents in South Africa and, unfortunately, an ever-increasing number of its victims are cyclists.
To help reduce this concerning statistic and act in the interests of all South African cyclists, the Pedal Power Association (PPA) is calling on volunteers to join a National Critical Response Team. This group of civic-minded individuals would focus on testing and processing drivers’ blood alcohol content levels and, therefore, the PPA is looking for:
- Registered nurses and paramedics: to help the South African Police with blood content tests at accident scenes.
- Pathologists and laboratories: to help process the blood sample timeously.
Given the two-hour window that the law allows to conduct a blood alcohol content test, these volunteers in the National Critical Response Team database would need to have the necessary equipment at their disposal and be able to respond timeously to the PPA’s call for assistance.
By being proactive in gathering and processing this crucial evidence, the PPA believes it will make sure those drivers breaking the law, and subsequently causing death or serious injuries, are brought to justice.
The third pillar of the National Critical Response Team will be to provide legal assistance for cyclists involved in these incidents and, therefore, it also calls on:
- Lawyers: to become part of a network of legal experts throughout South Africa, prepared to offer at least one consultation free of charge to cyclists involved in serious accidents.
Should you be interested in joining our National Critical Response Team, please send an email with your details and how you are prepared to assist to liz@pedalpower.org.za