Cyprus-Forum.com

[purdey]

Local paphos newspaper is asking bar owners to take keys off drivers when they believe they have had too much to drink and stop them from driving.
Great idea, but obviously not a business minded approach. How many drink drivers are likely to frequent these bars if the policy comes into effect ? and how many bar owners will sign up when selling vast amounts of alchohol is their business ?

[tessintrnc]

Our local pub back in the UK had a breathalyser behind the bar. They used to charge 50 pence or something to use it. I think it should be compulsory for bars to offer this test to those who want to. They cost about 120 euros.

[mountainman]

A bar owner is in business to sell his stock not police the use of the product, besides, one persons opinion of 'too much' is not necessarily that of another person and what proprietor would want to argue with a clearly drunk customer.

[tessintrnc]

A bar owner is in business to sell his stock not police the use of the product, besides, one persons opinion of 'too much' is not necessarily that of another person and what proprietor would want to argue with a clearly drunk customer.

Exactly - I agree, thats why a breathalyser behind the bar for those who WANT to stay (safe) and legal is a good idea. Also good to have an arrangement with a local taxi firm for cheap (shared) lifts home !!!

Tess

[Pubdog2]

Of course, the down side of having a breathalyser, is that some people will use it to drink right up to the limit. That can't be good

[Cyprus Vending]

This was in the Cyprus Mail Today.

Keys Please’ policy launched for safer driving
By Rala Kawas


Paphos bar owners back drink-driving campaign

A campaign to help tackle drink-driving has been launched by the editor of the Paphos News local newspaper, Janice Ruffle.

The ‘Keys Please’ Policy aims to give bars and restaurants the right to take vehicle keys off people, if they feel that they have had too much alcohol to drink. All those participating in the campaign will be expected to implement it without exceptions.

They will also receive recognition for their participation.

The campaign calls for all restaurants and bars participating to display a clear notice at the bar stating, “We operate a policy to request your vehicle keys if we feel you are over the alcohol limit and anticipate driving.”

Editor of the Paphos News, Janice Ruffle, decided to develop the idea when she found that it was working well with some friends of hers who own the Twisted Sisters Bar in Paphos.

“Since we opened the bar five years ago, we have developed a good relationship with many of our regulars, and if we feel that they’ve had too much to drink we offer to keep their car keys safe with us, until they can pick them up the following day,” said one of the owners, Jude Dunne.

“We just thought it was a sensible way to protect people, and it works well with the regulars who know us and trust us,” she added.

Another bar owner in Paphos, who didn’t want to be named, agreed with the idea because it encourages responsible drinking but felt that “the practicality of taking people’s keys off them it needs to be looked into.”

While the thought of handing your keys over to a stranger may seem a bit daunting, Ruffle is currently meeting with officials, like the police and transport department, to come to an agreement to ensure the keys are kept safe. She hopes that the keys can remain safe at the police department until the driver can collect them the next day. If the police are responsible for vehicle keys, this would offer peace of mind for both the driver and the restaurant or bar owner.

Ruffle is also working closely with a company that produces breathalyser-vending machine tests, which she is hoping to introduce to bars and restaurants to help determine how much people have had to drink. “Alcohol also causes aggression, as well as denial about being drunk, so when people refuse to hand their keys over, a breathalyser test could come in handy to prove to them that they are over the limit and a danger to themselves and others,” she said.

Stuart May, of Novelty Vend told the Cyprus Mail that these breathalyser tests are vending machines fixed on the wall and take a coin to test people’s breath and determine whether they are over the limit.

“This would be very advantageous for breweries because of the tightening of laws on drink-driving,” he said. “The only downside to these machines is the fact that they are very expensive,” he added. Novelty Vend is hoping that Carlsberg and Keo will help endorse these machines so more bars will have them installed. Some of the revenue from the machines would go to Carlsberg and/or Keo, should they choose to participate with a cut for Novelty Vend and the bars that buy them. However, May has suggested that the rest of the money goes on annual drink-driving awareness campaigns.

The ‘Keys Please’ campaign is largely about raising awareness on drink-driving and the serious dangers it produces. Ruffle believes that simply having the sign up in bars and restaurants will bring greater awareness about drinking and driving. “When people see the sign, it will make them think about the implications of drink-driving and may even cause them to not go over the alcohol limit.”

The policy comes as a result of a steady rise in road accidents and fatalities, which have occurred as a result of drink-driving. “The campaign is really about raising awareness and saving lives,” concluded Ruffle.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

[simonwjones]

This wont work.

I would not give my keys to the landlord as I don't know who they are or who would have access to them.

I don't drink and drive anyway but this not the way to stop drunks on the road. Lengthy roads bans/bigger fines are a better way in my eye