Global Actions Spotlight: Enhanced Enforcement Workshop in Da Nang
ICAP and the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) held the Global Actions Drink Driving Enhanced Enforcement Program on August 16 through 18 in Da Nang. Participants received field training in drink driving enforcement and developed action plans for future enforcement strategies. “Effective law enforcement is a critical aspect of drink driving prevention initiatives,” said Global Actions Vietnam Country Manager Lan Huong Nguyen. Local law enforcement received guidance on effective methods of addressing drink driving and road safety issues.
The program was led by members of NTSC, Da Nang Police Department, and Da Nang Traffic Safety Committee (TSC). International road safety specialist Ray Shuey served as the program trainer. Ray’s experience includes 41 years of police work and expertise in developing capacity-building programs specifically for drink driving enforcement in Vietnam and China. “Our biggest success was enabling the officers to understand the big picture approach to drink driving enforcement strategies,” said Shuey. “It is important to create a highly visible and active police enforcement program that is intrinsically combined with community education and awareness programs.” Participants formed checkpoint groups to enforce and apply real penalties. Traffic police trainees received breathalyzer training. “The donation of breathalyzer testing equipment combined with the training program enabled the officers to be totally professional in the field,” said Shuey. “Most of the participants confirm that it is easy to use the ICAP funded breathalyzers,” said Nguyen. “Before the workshop, most of them said that using the breathalyzers was very complicated and difficult.” Nguyen reports that 30 police participants are currently working on enforcement, applying the skills and knowledge gained from this program into their daily work.
What’s Happening Next
· Colombia: August 30-31, PACTOS seminar in Bogotá.
· Mexico: September, Drink Drive launch event in Mexico City.
· Argentina: September 14-17, Self-Regulation CONARED conference.
· China: September 16-18, Drink Drive training workshop for local staff in Xi’an.
· China: September 20-22, Drink Drive training workshop for local staff in Nanjing.
· Nigeria: September 20-21, Capacity-building program for the Lagos-Apapa intervention at the Protea Maryland Hotel, Lagos.
