Provincial traffic officers had their hands full keeping our roads safe at various roadblocks across the Western Cape over the long weekend. A total of 59 motorists were arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, more than double the tally in the corresponding period last year.
Another 11 arrests were made for a variety of offences. A preliminary report from Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services indicates that six people died on the province’s roads.
Breath testing was performed on 5 045 drivers at 51 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the province. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in the Worcester service area. At 1,35 mg of alcohol/ 1 000 ml of breath, this is over five times the legal limit of 0,24 mg/ 1 000 ml.
Eleven other persons were arrested:
A total of 845 speeding offences were recorded. A total of 757 fines in the amount of R607 490 were issued for a variety of reasons, ranging from driver offences to vehicle fitness violations.
Date | Location of crash | Fatalities |
Thursday, 27 April 2017 | Macassar (separate incidents) | 2 drivers |
Friday, 28 April 2017 | Villiersdorp | 1 motorcyclist |
Saturday, 29 April 2017 | Lamberts Bay | 1 passenger |
Sunday, 30 April 2017 | R300 Kuils River | 1 driver 1 passenger |
This is an appeal from the Department of Transport and Public Works: never use your cell phone while driving. Distracted driving can be fatal. As the United States National Road Safety Council points out, the ability of a person’s brain to process moving images decreases by 33% when he or she is on the phone. Drivers cannot respond quickly to what is happening on the road when they are distracted. This is true even if they are using a hands-free apparatus. Road crashes can result in serious injuries and death. No phone call or text message is so important that it is worth a human life.
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