Bribery of traffic officers and drunken driving hit a record high this festive season with 48 motorists arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers while drunken driving increased drastically.
The festive season holiday rush reached its peak this week, with more than 2,000 vehicles an hour travelling from Gauteng towards Limpopo, said the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
Traffic officers have developed a zero tolerance and harsher attitude towards bribery and drunken driving, spokesperson Simon Zwane said.
“A total of 48 motorists, the highest number ever, have been arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers while 4,106 have been arrested for drunken driving.”
Drunken driving has increased by 125% this year compared to the same period last year, Zwane said.
Law enforcement will be intensified this weekend, particularly in townships and within municipal areas where accidents tend to rise over the Christmas and Day of Goodwill period, with the RTMC expecting an “overindulgence” of alcohol, said Zwane.
“With the South African Weather Service forecasting heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in some parts of the country, motorists are reminded to reduce speed, increase the following distance between vehicles, have their lights on and desist from crossing flooded bridges.”
TimesLIVE
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