Transport minister Barbara Creecy promised zero tolerance of road lawlessness during the peak travel period around Christmas and New Year.
The number of road users arrested for flouting traffic laws since the start of December has increased by 16.2% compared with the same period last year. This was largely due to intensified law enforcement operations being conducted nationwide, according to Creecy.
Presenting the midterm December 1 to 16 road safety report for the festive season at a briefing in Cape Town on Friday, Creecy said 168,427 traffic fines were issued, 3,695 unroadworthy vehicles were discontinued and 2,552 public transport vehicles were impounded for violation of operator permits. She said 53 pedestrians were arrested for jaywalking on freeways and 26 motorists arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers.
Government, through the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), SA Police Service (SAPS) and traffic police, has undertaken 639 roadblocks at which 714,371 vehicles were stopped and checked in the first half of December.
“Pedestrians remain our priority concern over this period, and we have noticed fewer transgressions from this category and have seen a 57.9% decrease in pedestrian arrests,” Creecy said.
“We have also noticed a decrease in the number of drivers arrested for speeding, lowered by 7.8%, which could be attributed to greater law enforcement visibility.”
The highest speed was recorded in Gauteng when a female driver was caught driving 193km/h in a 120km/h zone.
An Eastern Cape man was arrested after recording a breath alcohol content of 2.38 milligrams per 1,000 millilitres (mg/L), ten times the legal limit of 0.24 milligrams. A stricter limit of 0.10 mg/L applies to professional drivers such as taxi/bus drivers.
Creecy said the RTMC had carried out targeted deployment of the national traffic police in high-risk provinces and corridors, informed by historical data and real-time monitoring.
“The approach allows government to direct resources where they are most needed, while maintaining uniform standards of enforcement across the country. The co-ordinated efforts have helped save lives but remain insufficient against behavioural risks that continue to escalate,” Creecy said.
With the peak travel period around Christmas and New Year, the minister said government will adopt a zero-tolerance approach to lawlessness on the roads.
“Enforcement will be firm, visible and consistent because every life matters. We will, in the coming days, maintain 24-hour high visibility patrols on highway and secondary routes.
“We will undertake alcohol operations every day of the festive season with high intensity over the weekends and will patrol areas of pedestrian density to improve compliance with road regulations,” the minister said.
She said alcohol-related crashes remained a critical concern together with reckless driving and driver fatigue from longer journeys. She also listed excessive speed as a factor.
“The persistence of the risky behaviours underlines a simple truth: every road death is preventable,” she said.
The minister urged road users to heed these safety tips:
- never drink and drive
- obey speed limits and traffic laws and stop for pedestrians
- ensure your vehicle is roadworthy
- rest sufficiently before long trips
- wear seatbelts and ensure children are properly restrained.
“If you are a passenger, challenge unsafe driving. If you are hosting gatherings and traditional feasts (imigidi) prevent drunk driving by arranging alternative drivers or use public transport.”
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