The 2022 festive season is fast approaching and officials have warned motorists to abide by traffic laws as there will be an increased number of roadblocks this year.
Picture: Getaway gallery
December is a time when most offices shut up shop and we hit the road for a much-needed getaway break. But not the traffic officials. It’s also a period where South Africa experiences a hike in road accidents. The country recorded 1 685 fatalities on the road during the 2021 festive season, which was a 14% increase from the previous year (though of course, December 2020 still saw some lockdown restrictions).
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula revealed last year that, according to News24, 651 roadblocks were conducted throughout the country and traffic officers issued 264 690 fines for various traffic offenses. In total, 21 431 of these fines were for drivers who failed to wear seatbelts, while 22 766 were for people driving without a license.
This year, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has vowed to make efforts to ramp up the country’s road safety and has urged motorists to start fixing their vehicles to ensure they are fit to be on the roads.
‘Law enforcement operations are being stepped up on the roads, and officers have vowed to clamp down on unroadworthy vehicles as they contribute to road crashes and fatalities,’ said RTMC to Business Tech.
According to the group, the following defects have been identified as core contributors to fatal crashes on the road:
- Defective brakes
- Burst tyres
- Defective lights
Law enforcement will ‘not hesitate to discontinue and even impound vehicles’ found to have any defects, including cracked windscreens. As the festive season can be a period of heavy rainfall for some regions, faulty wipers will also be taken into consideration.
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