Think before you drink before you drive
Most motorists should have, by now, taken cognisance of the fact the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act, that was set to have come into effect on July 1, will be effected over the next twelve months.
Drivers will feel the effect of their ignorance to adhere to the rules of the road; demerits and rehabilitation for bad drivers is expected to come into effect between July 2022 and June 2023.
Lebogang Gaoaketse, WesBank’s head of marketing and communication, said, “It is well known that most road accidents are preceded in some form or another by a road traffic transgression, so improving our attitudes and behaviour on the road is indeed a matter of extreme importance. The Aarto Act aims to do just that.”
Many road incidents are avoidable, and history provides us with evidence that the right interventions can make a substantial positive impact.
The World Health Organisation said more than 1,3 million people are killed on roads worldwide, and as many as 50 million are injured. It forecasts almost 1,8 million traffic fatalities annually by 2030.
“Not only do road traffic injuries and road offences place a massive strain on national economies, but they also have an enormous effect on households. Families may be driven into debt by the loss of a sole income earner in the household, the expenses of prolonged medical care, or the added pressure of caring for a family member who may be disabled as the result of a road traffic injury. The costs also impose significant impact on the health, insurance and legal systems, and overwhelming sadness and economic consequences to families,” said Gaoaketse.
It would thus be wise for drivers to be mindful of the implications of demerit penalties and begin to cultivate an awareness of everything they do while driving. A temporary or total suspension of your drivers licence may well be devastating on many levels, and will most certainly curb your ability to be mobile and economically active.
So think before you drink before you drive, speed or jump the traffic light or stop sign.
Source: Wesbank/MotorPress
