While many people were celebrating the festive season, 174 motorists were arrested by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) for driving under the influence of alcohol during festive season operations conducted across the city.

According to the JMPD, the arrests were made during roadblocks, roving patrols and targeted law enforcement operations in all regions of Johannesburg between December 22 and 28. The operations form part of the department’s festive season road safety plan.

Under South African law, a driver may not exceed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05g per 100 ml of blood, and professional drivers have a lower limit of 0.02g per 100ml. Exceeding these is a violation of the law that can lead to arrest, fines, licence suspension and, in some cases, imprisonment.

Road safety data show that alcohol remains a significant factor in South Africa’s high road fatality rate. Estimates from the Road Traffic Management Corporation suggest that about 50% of fatal crashes involve alcohol and that alcohol-related incidents have contributed to thousands of deaths on South African roads.

JMPD Chief of Police Commissioner Patrick Jaca said the enforcement actions were aimed at preventing road accidents and fatalities. He reiterated that every single arrest they make is more than just a statistic; it is a potential tragedy averted.

A zero-tolerance approach to drunk driving and a 24-hour presence of police on the roads was maintained on major routes and identified hotspots during this period. South African roads have one of the world’s highest road traffic death rates – around 24.5 deaths per 100 000 people – well above the global average of 6.3 per 100 000. Drunk driving and low seatbelt use are among the leading contributing factors.

Motorists are urged to put alternative plans into place, like using public transport, e-hailing services or appointing a sober driver when consuming alcohol to ensure their and other people’s safety on the roads.