Urban development comes with a price. So does a good road network, as the Gambia is currently experiencing. Road accidents are now a common place thanks to numerous factors. But must we let what is supposed to be a blessing become a curse?

Drunk driving remains one of the greatest if not the greatest threat to lives and properties. Undeniably, the good road network system serves as a catalyst for this. But also the fact that offenders have been able to elude prosecution easily has contributed greatly to the menace.

The best way to solve a problem is by preventing it, and that is why our police department, under the current Inspector General of Police, should be commended well in their effort to reign in perpetrators of crimes of this nature.

At this very moment, two young innocent children are lying in hospital, their young lives have been compromised by the recklessness of a certain driver. Memories are still fresh about how a member of the account department of the University of the Gambia lost his entire family to a similar moronic savagery.

Can you imagine an irresponsibly driver running into seven children, only to say: “I did not see them”. Ludicrous! Outrageous! Two of these children  remain in hospital weeks later with broken skulls. This is a problem caused both by us Gambians and by foreign visitors. Most of the latter are from the western world where they dare not drink and drive because the police have these equipment.

These visitors think that they can come to the Gambia and drink drive because our police don’t have the equipment to test them for alcohol. Be warned foreign and home-grown drunk-drivers! The police are now ready and equipped for you!

The Daily Observer will ever remain relentless in its effort to complement the efforts of all the stakeholders in the development aspirations of our dear nation, and the security is no exception.

We would like to take this opportunity to assure IGP Jammeh and his men of our unflinching support to root-out this disturbing phenomenon of drunk-driving. And to Mr Abdoulie Jagne, we say a big bravo for that patriotic move of yours in donating the Digital Alcohol Detectors.

Needless to say that this is what is expected of every patriotic Gambian, regardless of where you are. These wonderful tools, as in the words of the Inspector General, “will go a long way in solving our alcohol traffic related offences.”