Pretoria – A total of 3 078 motorists were arrested on South African roads from 1 December to the 16th for drunken driving, speeding, reckless and negligent driving as well as the possession of false documents.
“Traffic officers conducted 258 roadblocks in all provinces and issued traffic fines to 152 243 motorists for transgression of traffic regulations,” the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.
The corporation said the highest number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol was recorded in Gauteng, where 1 639 motorists were arrested.
The Free State recorded the highest number of arrests for speed, with 113 motorists nabbed.
Two motorists were arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a traffic official in the Eastern Cape, while a motorist was stopped while driving at 219 km/h in a 120 km/h zone on the N3 near Warden in the Free State.
“The bribery arrests were made by one official after he was offered a R90 bribe on December 3 and a R100 bribe on December 16.
“More than 10 000 drivers were given notices failing to wear seatbelts while 1 426 were given fines for talking on the cell-phones while driving,” RTMC said.
Roadblocks and traffic law enforcement operations will be intensified again this week from Friday, 23 December when motorists will be travelling to various destinations, including places of worship for Christmas.
“High traffic volumes were experienced on 15 and 16 December when factory workers and migrants began their journeys to the countryside and coastal areas.
“Traffic volumes were highest between 10am till 10pm on both days with more than 2 000 vehicles per hour recorded passing through the tollgates on the N3 south towards the coast,” RTMC said.
Traffic authorities are planning a clampdown on road traffic violations over the Christmas long weekend in an effort to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities.
Motorists are urged to exercise caution, be aware of pedestrians and respect the rules of the road.
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