In traffic operations aimed at curbing festive season road carnage, 1,478 drunk drivers have been arrested between December 1 and 13 in a nationwide blitz.
A total of 2,719 drivers have been arrested over the period for various offences — an 8.7% increase compared with the same period last year.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and AWARE.org, an organisation focused on promoting responsible alcohol consumption, have embarked on the campaign under the banner #Shiy’imoto, urging motorists to leave their cars behind when drinking alcohol.
According to the RTMC, the highest number of drunk driving arrests were recorded in the Northern Cape, North West and Eastern Cape, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.
During the 2024/2025 festive season, nearly 10,000 motorists were arrested for drunk driving between December 1 2024 and January 11 2025.
The #Shiy’imoto campaign is run by AWARE.org, backed by major alcohol producers, and has intensified as South Africa headed into three high-risk long weekends: December 16, Christmas and New Year.
“This moment presents the opportunity to turn things around. The people behind these quoted numbers are more than statistics; they are parents, children, friends and community members whose lives matter. With busy public holidays ahead, we call on all South Africans to make a simple choice: park your car, save a life. Use e-hailing services, appoint a sober driver, or stay the night. These decisions prevent harm,” says AWARE.org CEO Mokebe Thulo.
The RTMC estimates that nearly a third of road deaths are linked to impaired driving.
Gauteng roads and transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has also warned motorists there will be zero tolerance for unroadworthy vehicles, reckless behaviour or criminality on Gauteng’s roads.
“Our enforcement teams are acting decisively to protect commuters and ensure full compliance by public transport operators. Road safety is not negotiable, and those who undermine it will be dealt with without exception,” Diale-Tlabela said on Wednesday.
The Gauteng provincial government has intensified road safety enforcement through stop-and-search operations led by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) in collaboration with the RTMC.
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