Inhlanganisela Ebulalayo

“ISIMO esibucayi kakhulu,” kusho umongameli uBush waseU.S. “Isimo sezinto esithusayo,” kuphawula iStar saseNingizimu Afrika. “Umqedazwe,” kubika iU.S.News & World Report. “Uhlupho emphakathini” kusho isakhamuzi esikhathazekile.

Ingabe bakhuluma ngegciwane lengculaza elesabekayo? Cha, kodwa ngolunye uhlobo lwenhlupho emazweni amaningi njengamanje olubulala izisulu eziningi ukwedlula ingculaza. Luyini? Umphumela wenhlanganisela ebulalayo: ukuphuza bese ushayela.

Emhlabeni wonke, abantu abangaba ngu-300-​000 bayafa ezingozini zezimoto unyaka ngamunye. Kwabayizigidi abalimalayo, amashumi ezinkulungwane akhubazeka unomphela. Izindleko ezingokwezimali zingamaRandi ayizinkulungwane zezigidi unyaka ngamunye. Izingozi ezihlobene nophuzu oludakayo ziyimbangela yengxenye enkulu yalokho.

Eshumini leminyaka eliphela ngo-1990, abantu abangu-100 000 bafa bebulawa ingculaza eUnited States. Kodwa kuleminyaka eyishumi efanayo, abangaba ngu-250 000 baye bafa ezingozini zezimoto ezihlobene nophuzo oludakayo. Ingculaza ngokuvame kakhulu ithinta labo abaziphatha kabi ngokobulili nabasebenzisa imilaliso ngokuyijovela emithanjeni. Kodwa umshayeli odakwe ialkhoholi angase angabulali lowo oyisebenzisa kabi kuphela kodwa nesibukeli esingenacala ngokufanayo.

Ukuhlanganiswa kokuphuza bese ushayela ngokuvamile kubangela uhlobo lokufa olunesihluku kakhulu ezisulwini ezingazelele, futhi kuhlukanisa imikhaya phakathi. Kuphuca abazali abantwana babo, abantwana abazali babo, abashadile abalingane babo.

Imizamo Yokunqanda Leligagasi

Miningi imizamo eyenziwayo yokunqanda leligagasi elinamandla lomonakalo. EUnited States, imikhankaso yokuqaphelisa umphakathi iye yaqaliswa izinhlangano zabantu abavamile njengeRID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers) neMADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). Kunezinhlelo zeStop-DWI (Driving While Intoxicated). Izinhlangano ezifanayo zikhona kwamanye amazwe. Lezi zisiza izisulu ngamalungelo azo futhi zigqugquzele izinguquko ezingokomthetho.

Izikhungo ezibheke ukugcinwa komthetho zisheshisa imizamo yokubopha abashayeli abadakiwe, zisebenzisa izinto ezinjengezindawo zokuhlola ukuhluzeka kwengqondo. Kuye kwashaywa imithetho eyenza ukuba labo abanikeza iziphuzo ezinealkhoholi babe sesimweni sokubekwa icala. Ngisho namabhodi amakhulu okukhangisa ayasetshenziswa ukuze akhumbuze abashayeli ngemithetho ekhona.

Inani Labafayo Liyaqhubeka Lenyuka

Naphezu kwayo yonke lemizamo, inani labafa ezingozini ezihlobene nokushayela udakiwe liyaqhubeka lenyuka emhlabeni wonke. EBrazil kufa umuntu oyedwa njalo ngemizuzu engu-21​—⁠abangaba ngu-25 000 unyaka ngamunye⁠—​ezingozini ezihlobene nophuzu oludakayo. Lokho kucishe kube amaphesenti angu-50 abo bonke abafayo emigwaqweni lapho. ENgilandi naseJalimane, cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu zabo bonke abafa emigwaqweni kuthiwa zihlobene nealkhoholi. EMexico, ngokwemithombo eminingana, amaphesenti angu-80 kwabangu-50 000 abafa emigwaqweni abangelwa ‘iphutha lomuntu, ngokwesisekelo elibangelwa ukushayela edakiwe,’ kubika iEl Universal yaseDolobheni laseMexico.

Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-25 ezingozi zomgwaqo eNingizimu Afrika ahilela uphuzo oludakayo. EUnited States onyakeni owodwa ngokwesilinganiso, izingozi ezihlobene nophuzo oludakayo ziphumela ekulimaleni kwabangu-650 000, abangu-40 000 babo belimele kabi; abantu abangaphezu kuka-23 000 bayafa​—⁠cishe ingxenye yengqikithi yabafa emigwaqweni.

Emzamweni ophuthumayo wokunqanda abashayeli abadakiwe, iSigungu Sezisulu seDWI sahlelwa eWashington State, eU.S.A. Siye saba ingxenye yenqubo yokwahlulela ekugwebeni labo ababoshelwe ukushayela lapho bengaphansi kwethonya lesidakamizwa. Loluhlelo manje seluyasetshenziswa ezingxenyeni eziningi zakulelozwe. Injongo yalo ukwenza izaphula-mthetho zibhekane ubuso nobuso nemiphumela edabukisayo yokuphuza kwazo okungacatshangelwanga. Izaphula-mthetho ezinecala zigwetshwa izinkantolo ukuba zilalele izisulu namalungu emikhaya yazo futhi zenziwe ziqaphele ukulahlekelwa okwesabekayo okuye kwenzeka. IPhaphama! yamenywa ukuba ihlolisise okunye kwalokhu kwethulwa.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]

Dominic D. Massita, Sr./Accident Legal Photo Service of New York