Don't drink and walk

By Nadia Samie
25 December 2006

Emergency workers say that it is not just the consequences of drinking and driving that they have to contend with, but with drinking and walking as well. More than half of all road casualties are pedestrians. Wilfred Solomons from the city’s disaster risk management services has urged Cape Town’s residents and visitors to celebrate responsibly this festive season.

“A few drinks to celebrate can sometimes lead to a situation where people may not be as careful as they should be when crossing roads or even walking near busy roads,” Solomons said.

“Fire and ambulance crews were well placed to warn the public of the dangers of drink-driving and drink-walking. These men and women see the direct results of serious accidents people have when they have a few drinks and then use the roads, sometimes because people have let their guard down during festivities.

“Christmas and New Year are usually very busy times for fire and ambulance crews – please don’t make it any busier for these hard-working, dedicated people by being careless,” he said.