Participants in an annual networking event for Gauteng Women in Insurance got to try out specialised goggles that simulate the effect of drinking on one’s vision. The theme of the event was ‘The Ripple Effect’, looking at how one event can have multiple consequences for a person’s life.
Drink driving was core to this and MasterDrive was there to share their drunk buster activity and give participants a first-hand view of how drinking can impair your vision when driving.
Nicky Eveleigh, divisional head at Marsh Africa and GWII chairperson, shared her experience with drinking and driving. Her family was left devastated when her brother-in-law, Jordan Eveleigh, was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. All of their lives were irrevocably changed because of the irresponsible actions of another person.
Some time after the crash, Eveleigh had started to think about the person who had changed their lives in this way.
Where were they now? What were they doing? How had their lives changed? And how did they live with themselves after what happened?
The tragedy is that no family who has ever lost a loved one to a drunk driving crash will ever know for sure – and even if they did, it would never bring that person back.
Caro Smit from South Africans against Drunk Driving (SADD) was also there to share her devastating experience with a driver who got behind the wheel after drinking. Thirteen years ago her son was killed by someone who decided to drive after drinking, despite being discourage by people around her. On her way home, she hit the 23-year-old, killing him.
MasterDrive shared their drunk buster challenge where participants were able to wear specialised goggles that simulate the effect of drinking on one’s vision.
Managing director Eugene Herbert said, “With a sober mindset, no one who tries the goggles will even think of getting behind the wheel with them on. Yet, many people who have had a few drinks, do get behind the wheel with impaired vision and reactions.”
