Drunk drivers targeted in KZN over long weekend

According to the KZN Transport Department, members of the provincial Road Traffic Inspectorate were out in full force during the weekend.

According to the KZN Transport Department, members of the provincial Road Traffic Inspectorate were out in full force during the weekend.

Published Mar 23, 2021

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Durban - Nearly 20 allegedly drunk drivers were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal over the long weekend.

According to the KZN Transport Department, members of the provincial Road Traffic Inspectorate were out in full force during the weekend.

The department said 7 953 vehicles were stopped at roadblocks and in other operations. Officers issued 672 written charges to motorists, while 51 vehicles were suspended, and 136 motorists were charged for driving without a driver’s licence.

“A total of 18 motorists were arrested for drunken driving and 171 motorists were charged for speeding. Furthermore, a total of 102 motorists were charged for various offences that include failure to wear seatbelts, driving unlicensed vehicles and inconsiderate driving,” said the department.

The newly appointed KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Peggy Nkonyeni, issued a stern warned that errant motorists would be arrested.

She said additional law enforcement authorities would be deployed on all major roads in the province during the Easter period as part of Operation Vala multi-disciplinary law enforcement measures.

“Our law enforcement officers will continue implementing a zero-tolerance policy against drinking and driving because drivers who consume alcohol while driving or drive while drunk can (cause) fatal road crashes,” said Nkonyeni.

She also said that numerous traffic officers would be deployed on the province’s roads, especially the N2 and N3 highways, to ensure the safety of motorists.

Police visibility would also be intensified during the Easter period ahead of the expected influx of vehicles to the province, said Nkonyeni.

“Our officers are not only going to focus on drunk drivers but will also concentrate on checking the roadworthiness of vehicles, overloading, as well as motorists who use mobile phones while driving,” she warned.

Meanwhile, a number of people were killed and scores injured in accidents on KZN’s roads over the long weekend.

Yesterday morning, a cyclist died in a crash on the N2 near the Shaka’s Rock off-ramp. It is reported that a security guard was cycling home after work when he was allegedly struck by a taxi.

In another accident, six people were injured after a taxi overturned on the N3 near New England Road on Sunday.

One person was killed and two were injured after a vehicle crashed into railway infrastructure on the Tinley Manor link road on Sunday.

On Saturday afternoon, a woman was killed in a crash on the N2, between the Umvoti and Stanger toll plazas.

Meanwhile, the eThekwini Municipality with various stakeholders has launched the “Autosobriety Training Programme to Prevent Drink-Driving”.

The programme is being hosted by the UN Institute for Training and Research in collaboration with the city’s eThekwini Transport Authority, eThekwini Municipal Academy, the Municipal Institute of Learning, the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Durban (CIFAL Durban), with the support of Pernod Ricard.

The first phase of the programme consists of a Training of Trainers for driving instructors from the municipality, the second phase targets municipal employees and some 100 driving schools, and the third phase includes road users in general, with a target of 5 000 beneficiaries.

According to the municipality, the programme aims to equip driving schools in South Africa with educational tools in order to contribute to the prevention and reduction of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries in the eThekwini Municipality.

According to the Durban Metro Police, there were 65 861 road crashes in the eThekwini municipal area in 2019, of which 5 500 were alcohol-related. “The number of crashes related to alcohol comprises at least 8% of the total amount,” said the municipality.

The Mercury

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