UNITAR Conducts High Visibility Enforcement Training for Metro Police Officers in Durban, South Africa
26-28 March 2018, Durban, South Africa – UNITAR in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality, and the Municipal Learning Institute (MILE) provide training for Durban Metro Police Officers on High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) to contribute to road safety in the city ahead of the upcoming Easter and School holidays.
Law enforcement is regarded as one of the most important tools in Road Safety. The HVE workshop provided on-the-ground training for law enforcers to strengthen capabilities to address drinking and driving, to run a breathalyzer campaign, while addressing ethical issues such as corruption. The training was delivered through lectures (2 full days of theory) and through practical exercises (1 day).
The workshop brought together 30 Officers from the Durban Metro Police of which 70% were women to learn about anti-drinking programmes implemented in other countries, as well as to share their experience in Durban. The case of Mexico City and its programme “Conduce sin Alcohol” was presented to evaluate the possibility of integrating some of the components of the programme into Durban’s current breathalyzer programme.
During the inauguration of the workshop, eThekwini municipality Chairperson of Governance and Human Resources Committee Mrs. Barbara Fortein highlighted “all stakeholders need to put more focus in ensuring road fatalities are reduced”. Furthermore, “Governments, academia, business and civil society should continue to do more in the following areas improve behavioral risk that is for road traffic injuries, strengthen law and enforcement, design roads that address the needs of the most vulnerable road users.” Chairperson Fortein said.
The Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) Mr. Mati Maniathi shared about mobility and road safety in KwaZulu Natal and the municipality’s priorities regarding road safety. Private sector initiatives such as the ‘Drive Dry’, which aims to shock South Africans into thinking twice about getting behind the wheel drunk was also highlighted during the workshop.
UNITAR continues to work closely with key partners to assist government authorities to identify and implement strategies that improve road safety. At the core of the Institute’s work in road safety is the commitment to build awareness, promote education, train those who have to create and enforce legislation, and to instil a sense of responsibility. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Photo 1: Durban Metro Police Officers during HVE training in South Africa
Photo 2: Ms. Kate Blakeley from Diageo presenting during the workshop the 'Drive Dry' Campaign