Road agency says its records show that a total of 1 060 382 vehicle licences will be expiring at the end of November.
As the festive seasons approaches and travel plans are finalised, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is urging vehicle owners to use their bonuses or stokvel payouts to fix their cars and renew their car licences.
The RTMC said it’s important to ensure that your vehicle is in good condition before hitting the road.
“This includes fixing any defects that may have been overlooked during the year such as replacing unroadworthy tyres and cracked windscreens, fixing brakes, fixing lights and replacing wipers,” the road agency said on Tuesday.
“These are safety critical components, especially for people who will be travelling during the rainy and wet conditions this summer.”
Vehicle factors contribute to fatal crashes
According to the RTMC, vehicle factors contributed to 6.9% of total fatal crashes in the country during the 2024 festive period.
Of these, 65.7% was due to tyre bursts and 11.4% to faulty brakes.
Headlights that were not switched on, resulting in poor visibility of approaching vehicles, had a 9.5% contribution.
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The RTMC further reminded owners to ensure their vehicle licences are valid and renewed before travelling for the festive season.
More than 1 million vehicle licences due for renewal
The agency said its records indicated that a total of 1 060 382 vehicle licences will be expiring at the end of November.
“Most of these vehicles are in Gauteng, where a total of 416 828 will be due for renewal at the end of the month, followed by the Western Cape with 197 797 and KwaZulu-Natal with 143 293,” the statement read.
“Driving with an expired disc in South Africa incurs penalties that include late renewal fines of 10% of the annual fee for every month the disc is lapsed, potential fines of up to R1 000 if caught by law enforcement and possible vehicle impoundment.”
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