What speed limit constitutes a fine in South Africa?
Did you know that you can drive 10km/h above the speed limit without getting a fine in South Africa?
Ask any traffic official about speed limits, and they’ll tell you – there’s no grey area. The maximum speed limit is the law, full stop.
But when it comes to getting fined for speeding, there is a bit of wiggle room that not everyone knows about.
In South Africa, you can typically drive up to 10km/h above the speed limit without getting a fine. While some motorists are aware of this, most wouldn't risk testing the theory just to prove a point.
According to Top Auto, "The so-called tolerance is meant to accommodate minor calibration errors in vehicle speedometers. There are dozens of automakers and automotive suppliers, many of which use various techniques and equipment to calibrate their vehicles’ speedometers, inevitably leading to discrepancies."
To understand how this works, consider how built-in GPS devices often display a different speed than your car’s speedometer. These discrepancies are why authorities allow a small buffer when it comes to roadside speeding fines.
As Top Auto explains: "Thus, to avoid prosecuting persons who marginally exceed the speed limit and clogging up the legal system, the authorities incorporated a 'tolerance' of 10km/h into the fine structure."
But don’t get too excited – this tolerance only applies to fines issued by stationary roadside cameras, which are less precise. It does not apply to average speed-over-distance cameras.
Average speed-over-distance cameras work by using two cameras placed at the beginning and end of a specific road section. They calculate how long a vehicle should take to travel that distance based on the area's speed limit.
For example, on a 100km stretch with a speed limit of 100km/h (or 27.7 metres per second), a vehicle is expected to take exactly one hour. If a driver is travelling at 120km/h, they’ll reach the second point too soon.
The system will use a time-over-distance calculation to determine their average speed – 33.3 metres per second – and issue a fine accordingly.
Take a look at the fines and demerit points outlined in the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act.
The table below breaks down exactly what you can expect in terms of penalties and demerit points if you're caught speeding.
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