Community Policing Officer
People often think that you can only be arrested for drinking and driving but little do they know that walking while drunk can also amount to an arrestable offense; technically the offense is called public intoxication. Public intoxication is an alcohol-related transgression involving being visibly impaired due to excessive alcohol consumption while in public. Alcohol plays a major role in the traffic deaths of many pedestrians.
Being drunk on the street is a life-threatening behaviour, although public members do not perceive it as such. One of the dangers of public intoxication is the risk of causing an accident or being run over by a car. Crossing the road can be difficult when heavily under the influence of alcohol because judgement and body coordination is impaired thus making it difficult for you to make a good decision. A roadway is intended for vehicular traffic, but in some cases, you might find an intoxicated person lingering or sleeping on the roadway, thereby putting their lives and those of other road users at risk.
If found by the police walking in the street while intoxicated you could be issued with a fine, or be arrested. According to Road Traffic and Transport Regulations, 2001 (GN 53 of 2001) of the Road Traffic and Transport Act 1999 (Act 22 of 1999), crossing the road without due care or lingering on the road when crossing amounts to a traffic violation. The law also says that pedestrians on a public road must not conduct themselves in such a manner that is likely to constitute a source of danger to themselves or to other traffic on the road.
In terms of Municipal Bylaws, an intoxicated pedestrian can be issued with a fine amounting to N$1000. Police may not leave an intoxicated person in the street because she or he may cause an accident or be hit by a car. However, in most cases, intoxicated people have no clue on how to get home; hence, they end up spending a night at the police station to be released the following morning when they are sober, or may be required to either pay a fine or appear in court.
Public members are therefore advised to drink responsibly and make prior transport arrangements to avoid causing accidents or becoming victims of crashes. Additionally, owners of drinking establishments and bar tenders are advised to avoid serving alcohol to individuals who seem to be already intoxicated.
The Windhoek City Police can be contacted at 061.302302 or 061.209 2239.