Johannesburg - More than 2000 drivers have been arrested across South Africa for driving under the influence since the beginning of the 2017 holiday season.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation said on Friday more than 105 000 drivers had been tested for alcohol and 2247 were arrested for having alcohol blood content above the legal limit. The highest number of arrested drunk drivers were in Gauteng, it said, followed by Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape.
The RTMC said that more than 924 000 vehicles had been stopped and checked at various roadblocks since the start of holiday season law enforcement operations throughout the country. Most of the vehicles were stopped in Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape.
Attempted bribery
The top five offences based on written traffic notices issued were speeding, driving without a license, driving unlicensed vehicles, seatbelts, and overloading. Three taxi drivers were also arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers during this period. Two of the arrests took place in Limpopo and one was in the Eastern Cape.
With the holiday season coming to an end, traffic law enforcement authorities are gearing themselves up for increased traffic volumes on the roads after the New Year's Day long weekend.
The RTMC said around the clock law enforcement operations would continue this weekend and would remain in place until the re-opening of schools in January.