Thirty-one arrested for drinking and driving over the weekend

A preliminary report from the Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services indicates that two road users died on the province’s roads over the weekend.

Provincial Traffic Officers arrested 31 motorists for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on 19 and 20 August 2016.

Seven were arrested in the George service area, 

• five in Brackenfell, 
• four in Caledon, 
• four in Swellendam, 
• three in Somerset West, 
• three in Mossel Bay, 
• two in Vredenburg, 
• one in Beaufort West, 
• one in Vredendal, and
• one in Knysna.

Two other arrests were made:

• one in connection with false documentation in Vredenburg, and
• one for attempted bribery of a traffic officer in Worcester.

Breath testing was performed on 1 767 drivers at 26 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the province. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in the Mossel Bay service area. At 1,56 mg of alcohol/ 1 000 ml of breath, this is six times the legal limit of 0,24 mg/ 1 000 ml.

A total of 6 728 vehicles were screened for speeding and 784 speeding offences were recorded. Fines in the amount of R293 400 were issued for a variety of reasons ranging from driver offences to vehicle fitness violations.

Highest speeds

• 184 km/h in a 120 km/h zone in the Brackenfell service area, and
• 144 km/h in an 80 km/h zone in the Vredendal service area.

Road fatalities over the weekend

Speeding plays a causal and aggravating role in most fatal crashes on Western Cape roads. We encourage motorists to slow down, thereby greatly reducing their likelihood of being involved in a horrific crash that results in a senseless loss of life. We will continue to address speeding through awareness campaigns, enforcement activities, and the Average Speed Over Distance (ASOD) camera enforcement network.

Follow Safely Home on Twitter @WCGovSafelyHome under the hashtag #SpeedKillsFacts