Roadblocks intensify as Creecy moves to remove 300k unsafe vehicles
Authorities plan intensified enforcement, community outreach at high-risk crossing points, and stricter legal consequences to curb fatalities during the busy holiday period.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has vowed to crack down on more than 300 000 unroadworthy vehicles on South African roads.
She said her department is fully prepared for the Easter weekend, a period known for high traffic volumes due to faith-based gatherings. She emphasised that increased education of road users is essential to reducing accidents.
Creecy mentioned that they are trying to find these unroadworthy vehicles, as flagged by the electronic National Administration Traffic Information System, through roadblocks.
Students will also be deployed to educate communities at pedestrian hotspots, particularly where pedestrians are killed while crossing roads and ignoring pedestrian bridges. The minister noted that many pedestrians avoid using bridges because of the risk of being mugged – a matter that law enforcement authorities need to address.
Creecy addressed these measures at the annual National Economic Development and Labour Council Organised Labour School at Kieviets Kroon, north of Pretoria, where the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) represented its affiliated Federation of Unions of South Africa.
The minister strongly condemned drunk driving. She believes that drivers who consume alcohol and cause fatal accidents should be charged with premeditated murder, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment under the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
“It is a known fact that even a small amount of alcohol diminishes your ability to act. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi tells me that in hospital trauma units, 85% of victims and offenders are over the legal blood alcohol limit. I believe if someone drinks, gets behind the wheel, and causes an accident in which people die, they should be charged with premeditated murder,” Creecy said.
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Martlé Keyter, MISA’s CEO for operations, welcomed Creecy’s stance.
She said drunk driving and speeding remain the biggest contributors to fatal accidents on South African roads.
“One life lost is one too many. Despite increased law enforcement efforts under Creecy’s leadership, there are still too many drunk drivers. The prospect of life imprisonment may serve as a proper deterrent,” Keyter said.
Creecy highlighted that awareness campaigns, roadblocks, and the visibility of law enforcement officers have reduced road fatalities by 10% since January. However, she noted that most fatal accidents still occur at night over weekends when law enforcement presence is limited.
“We need to consider a flexi-shift system to have officers on the roads when they are needed most,” she said.
Keyter also reiterated MISA’s previous appeals to motorists to avoid night travel where possible and urged law enforcement to take action against jaywalking.
