Pretoria - More than 5.5 million vehicles and drivers have been checked, 2.3 million fines issued, at least 10 000 drunk drivers arrested and more than 24 000 un-roadworthy vehicles discontinued from use over the past four months.
This far exceeds the million-a-month vehicle check target announced by Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele on 10 September 2010.
The minister committed that as of 1 October 2010, traffic law enforcement officers across the country will stop and check no less than 1 million vehicles and drivers every month, as part of South Africa's "Make Roads Safe" campaign and new National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP).
From 1 October 2010 to 31 January 2011, 5 593 188 vehicles and drivers were stopped and checked, 2 362 299 million fines issued for various traffic offences, 9 904 drunk drivers arrested and 24 373 un-roadworthy vehicles were discontinued from use.
"We want to commend our traffic officers and other law enforcement officers across South Africa for their dedication, commitment and hard work thus far towards the successful implementation of the 'Make Roads Safe' campaign and NREP," said Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.
"We still have a long way to go towards significantly reducing road deaths. We want to warn road users that traffic law enforcement will be stepped up, as we head towards the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, to be officially launched world-wide during May 2011," he said.
"However, in South Africa we must reach a stage where we obey road rules through voluntary compliance and self-consciousness, and not merely law enforcement. We are not anywhere near that. We need renewed enthusiasm and energy on road safety. We therefore call on all South Africans to play a leading and active role in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety," Ndebele said.
During January 2011, 1 105 545 vehicles and drivers were stopped and checked and 715 721 fines were issued for various traffic offences, with most checks (276 839) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Scores of motorists were arrested, including 1 665 for drunk driving, with the majority (581) arrested in the Western Cape.
Other arrests included reckless and/or negligent driving (61); excessive speed (621); passenger overloading (1 239); goods overloading (443); for warrants of arrest (2 575), public transport permits (651), false documentation (36), no driving licence (4 160) and 3 788 un-roadworthy motor vehicles discontinued from use. - BuaNews
