Over 3000 motorists arrested over festive period so far
A total of 3078 motorists have been arrested on South African roads in the first 16 days of the festive period – December 1 to 16 – for drunken driving, speed, reckless and negligent driving, and possession of false documents, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Sunday.
The arrests included two motorists who allegedly attempted to bribe a traffic official in the Eastern Cape as well as a motorist who was stopped while driving at 219km/h in a 120km/h zone on the N3 near Warden in the Free State,” RTMC spokesman Simon Zwane said in a statement.
The bribery arrests were made by one official after he was offered a R90 bribe on December 3 and a R100 bribe on December 16, he said.
The highest number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol was recorded in Gauteng where 1639 motorists were arrested. The Free State recorded the highest number of arrests for speeding with 113 motorists nabbed.
Traffic officers conducted 258 roadblocks in all provinces and issued written notices (traffic fines) to 152,243 motorists for transgressing traffic regulations. More than 10,000 drivers were given notices for failing to wear seatbelts while 1426 were given fines for talking on cellphones while driving, Zwane said.
Roadblocks and traffic law enforcement operations would be intensified again this week on the second peak travel period from Friday December 23 when motorists would be travelling to various destinations, including places of worship for Christmas.
High traffic volumes were experienced on December 15 and 16 when factory workers and migrants began they journeys to the countryside and coastal areas. Traffic volumes were highest between 10am and 8pm on both days with more than 2000 vehicles per hour passing through the tollgates on the N3 south towards the coast.
Traffic authorities were planning a clampdown on road traffic violations over the Christmas long weekend in an effort to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Motorists were urged to exercise caution, be aware of pedestrians, and respect the rules of the road, Zwane said.