Durban - Companies and organisations concerned about road safety have rallied behind the demerit system, which the national department of transport launched in Durban on Monday.
The system is to be implemented across the country’s roads from April to enforce traffic laws, and could lead lead to repeat road offenders having their driving licences suspended or even cancelled.
If drivers accumulate more than 12 demerit points they could be suspended from driving for up to six months.
Road Traffic Infringement Agency chief operations officer Thabo Tsholetsane said licences would be cancelled after they had been suspended three times, and offenders would have to go for training before being allowed to drive again.
The Automobile Association said it was 100 percent behind the new system. A senior official in the organisation, who asked to remain anonymous, said the system would ensure that offenders felt the heat for their actions.
“The AA supports the implementation of the demerit system for a number of reasons, including that it will ensure compliance, and ensure that there are consequences for an infringement. It will ensure that you buckle up, drive within the speed limit, don’t talk on your cellphone while driving, don’t drive drunk and that you only stop where you need to stop,” he said.
ON THE RECORD
Tsholetsane said with the new system, vehicle insurance companies would be able to establish their clients’ driving records, which might lead to premiums being increased.
However, the AA manager said only bad drivers should be worried.
“If you are a safe driver who adheres to the rules you have nothing to worry about.”
Caro Smit, founder of South Africans against Drunk Driving, said for the new law to be successful, traffic officers would have to up their game to ensure that drivers were constantly tested for alcohol.
“The World Health Organisation has found that in South Africa only two out of 10 drivers were tested for alcohol, and only one out of 10 who are over the limit was punished.
“It is a good idea, but it is no use bringing us a system which is not going to work. We need traffic officers on duty 24 hours a day,” she said.
Tsholetsane said that during the pilot project in Pretoria, the agency found that taxi drivers had followed the law more strictly than other motorists.
The Mercury