Eighteen Year Old Dragster Arrested, Wife and Baby as Passengers

This weekend Cape Town Traffic Services held various drag-racing operations in Bellville, Athlone and Ottery as well as roadblocks in Maitland and Woodstock. A number of arrests were made, with charges ranging from inconsiderate driving, to one case in which an 18-year old was caught drag-racing with his wife and young baby in the car.

On the evenings of Friday 30 April and Saturday 01 May, forty seven (47) drunk drivers were arrested in the Maitland and Woodstock areas. During a joint enforcement operation held on the N2 at the Provincial Traffic Department's Satellite Station on Friday, 20 drunk drivers were arrested. One of the drivers was involved in a 'fender-bender' while the officers were still setting up the roadblock.

On Saturday 01 May, three motorists were arrested for drunk driving in Athlone and two for reckless driving. One of the drivers was a motorcyclist with a learner licence and no licence plate on the cycle. He was recorded travelling at a speed of one hundred and fifty two kilometres per hour (152km/h) in a sixty kilometre per hour (60km/h) zone on Vanguard Drive.

On Sunday evening, 02 May, a BMW 320 was seen street racing with a red Honda in Lansdowne Road. Officers were unable to stop the BMW and it almost collided with one of their vehicles in an attempt to get away. However, half an hour later the same vehicles were found driving at an exceptionally high speed on Klipfontein Road.

Ghost Squad members finally stopped the BMW at the intersection of Jan Smuts Drive and arrested the eighteen (18) year old driver for reckless driving. It was discovered that he had his nineteen (19) year old wife and one year old baby in the car with him at the time. Two other motorists were charged for inconsiderate driving.

A further ninety eight (98) other traffic fines were issued and twenty one (21) vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and were suspended due to mechanical defects.

Speed enforcement was also conducted at four other locations:

• Klipfontein Road: 135 cases
• Vanguard Drive: 408 cases
• La Belle Road, Bellville: 44 cases
• Borchard's Quarry Road: 63 speeding cases

"We have warned motorists that law enforcement operations will be intensified and yet there are so many people found driving drunk or recklessly. This is a major concern for us," said Media Spokesperson for Cape Town Traffic Services, Chief Inspector Merle Lourens.

Since the Shadow Centre in Athlone was launched, two thousand and fifty six (2056) people have been tested for drunk driving. Of those arrested at the Centre between 01 February and 30 April this year, three hundred and seventeen (317) were involved in road traffic accidents.

Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town