Pretoria - Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has urged motorists to exercise extra caution as schools re-open on Monday, 18 July.
"Roads across the country will be busier than usual this week as schools re-open on 18 July.
"We are pleading with all South Africans to take personally the fight against deaths on our roads and for everyone to work together to bring down road deaths during this global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
"Alone, we might not be strong enough but we now stand together with the world to declare that road deaths can be stopped. It is all in our hands," said the minister.
He said more than 10 million vehicles and drivers have been checked, while over 4.5 million fines were issued for various traffic offences over the past eight months across the country.
This is done in line with the National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP) announced by Ndebele last year.
From 1 October 2010 to 30 June 2011, a total of 10 877 203 vehicles and drivers have been checked; 4 537 272 fines issued for various traffic offences; 16 828 drunk drivers arrested and 42 960 un-roadworthy vehicles discontinued from use.
Arrests for last month included 1 631 drivers for drunk driving, with the majority (986) arrested in Gauteng; 40 arrests for reckless and/or negligent driving; excessive speed (128); passenger overloading (931); goods overloading (370); warrants of arrest (1 861); public transport permits (80); false documentation (56); no driving licence (105) and other arrests (1 028).
On Monday, Gauteng traffic police discontinued 14 tow trucks from use at the Langlaagte Testing Station in Johannesburg as part of an operation aimed at addressing rampant non-compliance with road traffic legislation within the breakdown (towing) industry.
Of the 18 tow-trucks tested over a two-hour period, only four were roadworthy.
Defects included faulty lamps, faulty brakes, loose wiring and non-compliance in terms of safety items such as no side-marker lamps.
