Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Pat Ngomane have commended traffic officials for arresting over 25 reckless and negligent drivers for various offences around the province during the weekend.
Ngomane stated that speeding drivers are negligent and reckless because their behaviour has a potential of killing and injuring other innocent road users.
One of the drivers arrested was driving at 205 km/h in a 120km/h zone on the N4Toll Road towards Mbombela on March 27.
Traffic officers managed to arrest 23 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol in eMalahleni over the weekend in an all-night operation that took place on Saturday, March 25. All the drivers were granted R1 500 each.
Another male driver was also arrested on N4 road near Alkmaar for driving at 168 km/h on a 120 km/h zone. The suspects have been charged with reckless driving and are expected to appear in court soon.
MEC Ngomane says these type of drivers should be prosecuted in order to deter would be speedsters and to also demonstrate that government is zero tolerant towards reckless driver behaviour.
He says most crashes are caused by speeding, dangerous overtaking, and reckless driving amongst others. Ngomane says excessive speeding should not be accepted by government and those found to be guilty should face the music.
The MEC says that traffic officers will maintain visibility while dealing with those who break the law.
“As much as we try to improve our law enforcement operations and road safety to prevent road crashes and lawlessness, road users must remain key in ensuring road safety by practicing caution and obey road rules at all times,” added Ngomane.
