A drunk motorist driving a Mercedes Benz Vito was arrested near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape Wenesday night with a blood alcohol content of 1.6g/100ml - 32 times over the permissible limit of 0.05g/100ml.
Five boys as well as a woman, who were also in the vehicle with 15 sheep allegedly stolen from near-by farms, were also arrested.
The Transport Department says from December 1st through to December 21st 1,1 million vehicles and drivers were checked; 1 500 drunk drivers arrested with 40% of these being female; more than 30% of fines issued relate to drivers not being in possession of driving licences or failing to carry driving licences.
The Department says early Thursday KwaZulu-Natal trafficauthorities reported at least 16 people killed in a road crash involving a mini-bus and midi-bus on the N2 near Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal.
Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele says has called on more South Africans to enlist as Voluntary Traffic Observers to win the battle against road deaths.
The Minister made the call during his visit yesterday (Wednesday, 22 December 2010) to the Road Traffic Management (RTMC) offices in Pretoria East.
"As we head towards the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020, we call upon more South Africans to join Ms. Denise De Kock and enlist as Voluntary Traffic Observers. As part of South Africa's "Make Roads Safe" campaign, more and more citizens must join the global movement for road safety.
Road safety is everybody's responsibility. The battle to put an end to the unnecessary loss of lives on our roads is winnable and we must win," said the Minister.
More information on enlisting as a Voluntary Traffic Observer may be obtained at www.rtmc.co.zaor from the RTMC Call Centre on 0861 400 800 (during office hours).
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