Safely Home Operations Geared for School Holidays

Media Statement by Dan Plato, Minister of Community Safety

With traffic volumes along major routes in the Western Cape set to increase due to the winter school holidays, the province's traffic law enforcement agencies are fully prepared and the Safely Home campaign's focus on excessive speed and drunk driving intensifies over this period.

We expect an increase in traffic on all national and provincial routes as from tomorrow and over the weekend as families embark on holidays within the province or travel to other provinces.

Public transport and the safety of commuters will be addressed at roadblocks on various routes, and illegal operators will be removed from public roads.

Pedestrian safety will also be continuously addressed and, during this period, law enforcement officials will concentrate on visibility.

We will continue with our weekend integrated law enforcement operations in respect of vehicle fitness and drivers getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.

During the past week, five drivers were arrested for excessive speed of which the highest recorded speed was 223 km/h on the N1 between Paarl and Worcester.

I urge motorists to take extra care during this time as the roads are not only busy, but wet conditions can also contribute to accidents.

It's important to plan your trip, to do a safety check before leaving home and to drive with your lights on. Fatigue often contributes to accidents so rather pull over and rest if you feel tired.

Our men and women are all out to help ensure that everyone gets safely to their destinations and safely home but, ultimately, road users must co-operate and those who do not adhere to the law will face the consequences.