Johannesburg - In under a month, more than a 1000 motorists have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
“There have been more than 2400 motorists arrested since December1, with more than half of them for drunk-driving,” Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane told the Saturday Star.
The organisation said the majority of those arrested were caught for driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and for outstanding warrants.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding continue to be a major cause of concern for us.”
In Joburg alone, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has already arrested more than 100 drunk drivers since their operations began in early December.
“It looks as if drunk-driving has gone up compared to last year, but figures will be released soon, so we will know more,” said Wayne Minnaar, spokesperson for the JMPD.
“It’s too early to make any comparisons, but as far as accidents are concerned in Johannesburg, it looks much better than last year.
“We really want to encourage those who drink to not drive at all. Take a cab. It’s safer.
“In the majority of cases, people don’t just have one drink. So if you’re going out for dinner or to a party, don’t take the chance,” said Minnaar.
Zwane added that in terms of fatalities and accidents, things were looking much better compared to last year on South Africa’s roads.
“We have a target. We want fatalities and road accidents to come down by 10%.
“From the analysis we gathered this morning, we’re confident that we’re doing well.
“It feels a lot quieter because we’re not experiencing high numbers of massive accidents.
“Now we’re closing the gaps so that we can sustain this quiet right until the end of the festive period.
“Our concern is that people should not drive at night, they should take regular rest stops and be on the lookout for pedestrians.”
Aside from drunk-driving, Zwane said traffic officers had discontinued more than 1200 vehicles that were found to be unroadworthy and impounded more than 600 public transport vehicles for operating without proper operating permits.
“There were more than 330 roadblocks that were held throughout the country, resulting in more than 426842 vehicles being stopped and checked and 142152 traffic fines being issued,” said Zwane.
Minnaar said traffic law enforcement in Joburg had been intensified during the festive period.
“Roadside checks are being held during the day and at night. We’re at full throttle” said Minnaar.
Meanwhile, the RTMC expects traffic volumes to peak this weekend as motorists begin making their way to various holiday destinations for the Christmas period.
Yesterday, thousands of motorists had already begun making their way out of Joburg from the early hours of the morning.
Thousands of vehicles passed through the Mooi Plaza, Tugela
Plaza, Wilge Plaza and De Hoek Plaza on their way to KwaZulu-Natal, as well as to Limpopo and the Western
Cape.