Motorists on the Harare – Masvingo highway were surprised to learn that the truck that was blocking the road last night between Ngundu and Chibi turn-off had no problem but just that the driver was too intoxicated to drive.
Cars were stacked behind the truck on both sides of the highway as the truck completely blocked the road. Motorists were surprised, however, to note that the truck driver was not on the scene until another truck driver arrived.
The truck driver peeped through the window and saw the truck driver lying on the bed in his cab.
“I opened the door and was met with Zambezi Lager bottles, there and then I knew what was happening,” said the trucker who has chosen to remain anonymous.
He said he woke the driver up but he could not say anything and he could see that he was visibly drunk.
“The key was on the ignition, so I thought let me start the truck and see. Confirming my suspicions, the truck was okay, so I moved it off the road,” he said.
From the video below, it looks like the driver spilt some Zambezi Lager on his pants as they are wet between the laps just as you go higher to the engine compartment.
Read also: Truck driver drunk, 12 times over the limit after crashing into several cars on R21
SA Trucker urges truck drivers to respect their jobs and not drink whilst driving especially as the festive season nears. The increase in traffic on major roads in itself poses a great danger for any motorist, driving drunk or drinking whilst would only worsen the situation.
Truck driving is a very stressful job, we all agree, but a responsible trucker knows when to drink – which is ideally during his off days. Some, however, think that it is okay to drink as long as they are not driving at the time but as long as you are on duty you should not consume alcohol.
In my cross-border driving experience, I learnt that many truck drivers resort to drinking alcohol while they wait for clearance at the borders. This may look harmless but it is unlawful and one can lose their job if they are found to be drunk at such a time. Just don’t drink alcohol while on duty!
