Johannesburg - At least 549 drivers were arrested for various offences during the Easter holiday, with 312 of them nabbed for drinking and driving, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.
The highest speed recorded was in Gauteng where a motorist was caught travelling at 196 km an hour along the N14 highway. Provincial traffic authorities and the police set up 79 roadblocks across the country, issuing more than 65 000 traffic fines, the RTMC said in a statement."
"Most fines were for speeding, driving without licences, driving unlicensed vehicles, failure to wear safety belts and driving unroadworthy vehicles. Traffic authorities are now gearing themselves upon for another upsurge in traffic volumes when travellers return from different places of pilgrimage and holiday spots on Monday. The roads were extremely busy on Thursday and Friday when motorist set on their long distance trips.''
A total of 92,629 vehicles passed through tollgates between Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal at the start of the holiday on Thursday. At least 51,647 were recorded along the N1 between Gauteng and Limpopo on the same day. Thousands of Zion Christian Church members made their way to Moria, outside Polokwane, for the annual Easter pilgrimage. No incidents have been reported around Moria.
The RTMC urged motorists to plan their return trips carefully and to take regular stops along the way to avoid fatigue.