And according to Williams, they are also proposing to change the legislation surrounding those who are caught driving under the influence. If the accident is fatal, the driver will be charged with manslaughter and imprisoned. Here's what he told us.
Chester Williams, CEO, Ministry of Transport
"I am currently working on a Cabinet paper with the police to address that issue. It Is going to proposed to Cabinet to amend the motor vehicle and road traffic act when it comes to the issue of driving under the influence of alcohol. I can say to you, the first paper with that we submitted to Cabinet has been approved where Cabinet has approved the amendment to the motor vehicle and road traffic act to allow that the test result from breathalyzers be admissible in court as prima facie evidence so there's going to be no need for us to take you to the hospital or ask you to urine. The receipt from the breathalyzer is going to be sufficient to prove to the court that you are under the influence so that is very good for us. So now what we need to do is to present another Cabinet paper where we'll be asking that any person who is convicted of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol that that carries a penalty of $1,500 or imprisonment for one year on the first offense. If there is a second offense then you go to prison for 3 years. We'll also be proposing that if it is that you are charged in respect to an accident where someone died and you are found to have been under the influence, that you're not charged for manslaughter by negligence, you're charged for manslaughter and the penalty for that is going to be 5 years imprisonment, 5 to 10 years imprisonment so it's going to carry a mandatory imprisonment sentence as opposed to what currently stands where if you're charged with manslaughter by negligence while under the influence you only get a fine of $5,000 and you go home. And with the new proposal, we're asking that you be disqualified from driving for life."
