More than 70 speedsters arrested in Gauteng this month alone

Operations conducted by Gauteng Traffic Police’s High Speed Unit has yielded impressive results, with more than 70 drivers arrested for reckless and negligent driving in the province. 

The total makes up speedsters arrested in September alone. 

So far, the fastest speed was clocked at 215km/h, in a Mercedes Benz E 200, in a 120km/h zone. The 27-year old male was caught speeding on the N1 north on Thursday night. 

A close second was a 35-year-old man arrested on the R21 on Thursday night, after reaching speeds of 204km/h in his Range Rover Sport. The driver claimed he was rushing his manager to a place of work. 

Both drivers were detained at Lyttelton Police Station, where they were formally charged with reckless and negligent driving, and for exceeding the 120km/h speed limit. They were released on bail of R2,000 and R2,500 respectively, and are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court next week. 

The speeding busts have been made possible thanks to technology such as moving violation recorders, which record the average speed measured over at least 500 meters. The speed is recorded and downloaded to be used for investigations and prosecutions. 

“Road fatalities are caused by driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving as well as excessive speeding. The Gauteng Traffic Police High Speed Unit will be on high alert by continuing to conduct patrol on Gauteng major routes to ensure that motorists adhere to the general speed limit,” said Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Sello Maremane. 

Motorists are being urged to exercise caution by adhering to the rules of the road, keeping to the speed limit and driving responsibly, to save the lives of passengers, other road users and pedestrians. 

(Compiled by Nica Richards)

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