SA’s festive drivers: 46029 speed‚ 15538 unlicensed‚ 14174 vehicles unlicensed

Statistics released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) on Friday revealed the top five offences based on written traffic fines.

1. Speed: 46 029 drivers fined;

2. Driving without licenses: 15 538 drivers fined;

3. Unlicensed vehicles: 14 174 drivers fined;

4. Driving without fastening seatbelts: 13 554 drivers fined; and

5. Overloading: 5 388 drivers fined.

In addition‚ three taxi drivers were arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers. Two of the arrests took place in Limpopo and one was in the Eastern Cape.

More than 924 000 vehicles have been stopped and checked at various roadblocks since the start of festive season law enforcement operations throughout the country.

“Most of the vehicles were stopped in Limpopo‚ Gauteng‚ Mpumalanga and the Western Cape. More than 105 000 drivers were tested for alcohol and 2 247 drivers were arrested for having alcohol blood content above the legal limit‚” the RTMC said.

“The highest number of arrested drunk drivers were in Gauteng‚ followed by Limpopo‚ Mpumalanga and the Western Cape‚” the RTMC said.

It added that law enforcement officers will remain in place around the clock this weekend. Their presence will remain high until schools re-open.