Drunk driver ruined my life

03 October 2011 - 21:39 By Vuyi Jabavu
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Drunk drivers can alter life by killing or seriously injuring innocent people. File photo.
Drunk drivers can alter life by killing or seriously injuring innocent people. File photo.

There are many more reports about drunk driving statistics and drunk drivers than there are about the people and families who are victims of these heinous crimes.

When a complete stranger rudely forces his or her way into your life by turning you into a drunk driving accident statistic; the pain is almost unbearable.

Last week I interviewed Rowena*, a self confessed and regular drunk driver.

This week, I had an opportunity to chat with Mandla*, a young man whose life was forever changed by the actions of a stupid drunk driver.

Here is an account of his ordeal, in his own words.

It was the beginning of the New Year and I had just started a new job, bought myself a brand new car and was eagerly awaiting the birth of our second child.

My future was bright, that is, until someone changed that for my family and I eternally.

It was a Friday night at about 11.30pm and I had just finished my shift at the radio studio.

I agreed to take a colleague home. Tsepo* was chatting excitedly about how he had finally saved enough money to buy his own vehicle.

As we chatted, I saw the car in front of me suddenly swerve, as if to avoid something. All too soon, the headlights of an on-coming vehicle blinded me.

In a split second I realised that we were about to have an accident. The crunch of metal as we collided is a sound which would haunt me for the longest time - and the sight of Tsepo's body catapulting towards the windscreen still plays vividly in my mind.

The next thing I remember was lying on the ground and looking up at a paramedic. She calmly told me to lie still. There were blue and red lights flashing, and out the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a body, covered in a sheet.

In hospital I learnt that we had been involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver - a young executive who had been out on the town with her girlfriends.

Sadly, Thabo had died at the scene. He had not been wearing his seatbelt.

My injuries were extensive - a broken left leg and right arm, fractured pelvis, three broken ribs, racked vertebra, concussion, and extensive facial bruises. The orthopedic surgeon told me I could expect to walk with a limp and suffer pain for the foreseeable future.

Unbeknown to me, that was just the beginning of a two-year nightmare, which would strain my marriage to breaking point and put us in debt for medical and legal expenses.

As I had begun a new job, my benefits from the new company were limited and, in spite of their understanding and goodwill, they let me go a few months after the accident.

It seemed that in one split second I had lost my job and had to depend on my expectant wife to financially carry the household, to look after our children and I, all while trying to maintain her own sanity - simply because someone was irresponsible.

Soon we were spiraling into the cold bottomless pit of depression neither of us could fathom from.

The police didn't seem very interested when taking my statement. The first question an officer asked was if I had been insured. She treated me as if I was just another case, another statistic; I guess to her I was.

The insurance company wanted an account of the accident as well - and although I gave them all I could, it seemed there was a problem with my claim.

Months earlier I had changed residences and had not informed them. Apparently this was in violation of my contract with them.

I felt as if I was I living a horrible nightmare ... I simply wanted to wake up from it and continue with my life.

Who was that woman who had barged into our lives and disturbed us so incredulously? What right did she have to do this to a young family working so hard to make ends meet?

To add salt to our wounds, the other driver's lawyer seemed bent on proving the process used in confirming his client's sobriety was flawed.

Two years later, the matter was finally settled. I received a payout, started a new job and bought a new car; but nothing could bring back the full use of my body, nor the time I had lost. Very sadly, it couldn't bring Tshepo back either.

  • I shared Mandla's story with the police and asked how innocent (and sober) drivers could keep safe on our roads, and, according to them, the best way to spot a drunk driver is through the following observations:

1. Weaving across the road or drifting in an out of lanes

2. Quick acceleration or erratic braking

3. Driving in the yellow lane or not fully on the road

4. Driving towards and almost colliding with objects such as lamp posts, curbs etc

5. Signaling that is inconsistent with driving actions

6. No adherence to traffic signals

7. Straddling lane markers or driving over the "cat-eyes"

8. Driving without headlights on at night

9. Driving well below the speed limit

10. Driving well above speed limit

11. Tailgating other drivers

12. Overtaking, cutting in front of or too closely to other vehicles.

13. Driving into opposing traffic on the wrong side of the road

In the event that you spot a drunk driver, here are a few suggestions as to what to do:

1. Give the other driver a wide berth

2. Do not try to pass the vehicle unless it is safe to do so.

3. Do not try to pull the other driver over, or make eye contact with them as this could aggravate a volatile situation.

4. Do not try to "race" the other driver as this could cause an accident.

5. If the driver behind you is tailgating your car, give them way and reduce speed.

6. Try to take notice of the registration number and description of the other vehicle (colour, make, model) and driver (male, female). When it is safe to do so, pull over and call the police.

*Names have been changed.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now