ASIPHEPHE ZERO TOLERANCE CAMPAIGN RECORDS MORE THAN SEVENTY THOUSAND TRAFFIC OFFENCES SINCE THE START OF THE FESTIVE SEASON

Traffic officials were out in full force during the past month to ensure that road users arrived safely at their destinations during the festive season.

Traffic volumes peaked at more than three thousand vehicles per hour during some days and every available traffic officer was deployed along major routes in the province to monitor traffic flows and to clamp down on dangerous drivers. Motorists were warned to obey the rules of the road and to ensure the safety of other road users.

No mercy was shown to road users who disobeyed road rules.

To this end, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) charged motorists for 70 284 various road traffic offences for the period 29/11/2001 to 07/01/2002. 

Of the 70 284 offences, 76,94% (54 074) were for speed-related offences. 187 drivers were arrested for drunk driving and 16 for reckless and negligent driving. 1 975 drivers licence offences were recorded and 1 936 persons were charged for not wearing seatbelts.

Drivers were charged for 8 424 vehicle defects and 345 vehicles were suspended for being in an un-roadworthy condition.

The drivers of 686 heavy motor vehicles and 288 passenger vehicles were charged for being overloaded.

Further, at the roadside court in Cato Ridge a motorist was sentenced to R9 000 or five months imprisonment for travelling at a speed of 166 km/h in a 120 km/h zone. At the Park Rynie roadside court a driver was sentenced to R12 000 for travelling at a speed of 184 km/h in a 120 km/h zone.

KZN MEC for Transport, Mr S’bu Ndebele has hailed the campaign so far as a tremendous success and congratulated traffic officers for the commitment they displayed. "The success of the campaign cannot be measured by the large number of prosecutions but by the impact that Asiphephe has made on driver attitude and behaviour."

"The campaign has heightened public awareness of road safety and people all over this province have responded positively to the campaign. Our officers have worked many hundreds of hours in overtime and dedicated all their available time to enforcement operations. Because of their high visibility, incessant roadblocks and continuous enforcement exercises, the stringent enforcement served as a deterrent to stop people violating the law on the road," Mr Ndebele said.

Mr Ndebele cautioned however, that the death toll was still too high. Since the start of the festive season at least 147 people have been killed on the province’s roads.

N.B.  The above-mentioned enforcement figures only reflect the enforcement operations conducted by RTI and exclude the enforcement operations carried out by the Durban City Police and other local authority traffic departments in KwaZulu-Natal.

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