Festive Roadblocks: Avoid being impounded or imprisoned

Updated Dec. 19, 2024, 7:16 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

Law enforcement officers are ramping up road safety measures to prevent further road accidents this December. Here's how you can avoid being imprisoned.

December is the worst time of the year for road users. Everyone is on their own mission and most drivers fail to consider the other cars on the road, which leads to fatal accidents and massive amounts of traffic.

So, the South African government and law enforcement agencies are now ramping up road safety measures ahead of the festive season.

This is to combat the nation’s high rate of road accidents and fatalities, with an alarming average of 34 road deaths reported daily.

This is why authorities are now implementing stricter enforcement to improve safety during the busiest travel period of the year.

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Firstly, we (humans) are the main problem. Human negligence is responsible for 80% of road fatalities, with speeding, drunk driving, and reckless overtaking leading the causes. Most of these accidents occur late at night, on weekends, and early mornings.

However, there’s also the issue of ill-maintained vehicles. Approximately 10% of vehicles are unroadworthy, which increases the risk and likelihood of accidents happening on the roads. The sad part is that most of us don’t regularly maintain our cars unless it’s something major.

The Department of Transport (DoT) has confirmed that authorities are increasing the number of roadblocks this festive season, focusing mainly on major highways, provincial routes, and urban centres.

These roadblocks are aimed at ensuring compliance with national traffic laws, curbing unsafe driving and reducing the number of unroadworthy vehicles on the roads.

Authorities have vowed to ensure stringent monitoring of the roads during high-risk times to crackdown on reckless behaviours like drunk driving and speeding.

Furthermore, these roadblocks are aimed at identifying and addressing unroadworthy vehicles, highlighting the need for regular vehicle maintenance to improve safety.

Any vehicles that are identified to have 3 or more critical defects will be impounded immediately. The most critical defects you should look out for are:

Expired drivers license
Expired car license disc
Defective lights (headlights, taillights and indicator lights)
Worn tyres
Faulty brakes
Cracked windscreen
Leaking engine oil

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So make sure you inspect your car thoroughly this December before getting on the road. If you know your car has most or all of the above-mentioned defects, rather leave it at home.

The Department of Transport (DoT) is urging motorists to prioritize safety and responsibility on the roads.

As the holiday season approaches, these measures are intended to save lives and reduce the devastating toll of road accidents in South Africa.