The Department of Transport has announced plans to amend Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) to eliminate the legal alcohol consumption limit for drivers in South Africa.

Currently, the law permits a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05g/100ml or 0.24mg/1 000ml breath for general drivers, and stricter limits of 0.02g/100ml blood or 0.10mg/1 000ml breath for professional drivers. Exceeding these limits is a criminal offence.

“Nearly 30 years ago, our driving and drinking policy was formulated. Today, it is unacceptable that the law allows people to drink and then drive,” said Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on Thursday, January 15, during a media briefing.

ALSO READ: Drunk Edenvale taxi drivers arrested by EMPD

She added, “The time has come to amend the law to provide a clear, unambiguous policy: drinking and driving is not allowed. Any law that permits drivers to consume alcohol and still get behind the wheel must be scrapped.”

Creecsy made these remarks while releasing the 2025/ 26 festive season road safety report, covering the period from December 1 to January 11.

Festive season statistics show improvement

Preliminary data indicates that 173 695 drivers were tested for alcohol during the festive period, with 8 561 testing positive – a 144% increase compared to the same period last year.

Despite the rise in detected offenders, there was a 5% reduction in both road fatalities and crashes this festive season compared to the previous year. A total of 1 427 fatalities were recorded from 1 172 crashes, marking the lowest number of crashes in five years and matching the fatalities recorded in the 2023/ 24 festive period.

ALSO READ: EMPD recovers stolen vehicle abandoned after crash in Edenvale

During the campaign, law enforcement officers conducted 1 632 roadblocks, stopping and checking 1.8 million vehicles. More than 450 000 traffic fines were issued, and 525 drivers were arrested for excessive speeding.

Annual road safety trends are also positive

Annual statistics for 2025 show the lowest number of road collisions and fatalities in five years. From January 1 to December 31, there were 11 418 fatalities from 9 674 crashes, a decrease from 12 581 fatalities and 10 633 crashes in 2021.

“Road crashes decreased by 6.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, while fatalities dropped by 6.2% over the same period,” Creecy said, highlighting the effectiveness of ongoing road safety enforcement and campaigns.