Zero tolerance for road offenders
JOBURG- Motorists have been warned that the law will show no lenience to road offenders this festive season as a zero tolerance approach will be applied.
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Angie Motshekga said, “Those found guilty of transgressing the rules will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.”
Speaking at a post cabinet briefing, Motshekga urged road users not to “drink and drive or drink and walk”.
According to the Automobile Association of South Africa, based on a South African road safety report by Road Traffic Management Corporation, a fatal crash happens every 48 minutes in South Africa, resulting in more than 13 800 deaths each year.
The reports also revealed that more than half of all people killed in road accidents were under the influence of alcohol.
AA Head of Public Affairs, Graeme Scala said, “Thirty three percent of fatalities are pedestrians, but drivers aren’t far behind at 29 percent.”
Scala added that passenger deaths in road accidents were the highest with a 38 percent fatality rate.
The AA said these figures showed that the effects of bad driving were not limited to one particular category of road user.
According to the report, wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of death in a head-on collision by up to 72 percent.
However, Scala noted that South Africa’s seatbelt wearing rate was very low by world standards.
He urged all motorists to “buckle up these holidays and not drive after drinking”.
