Zero tolerance campaign nets 77 drunk drivers in KZN
Of those arrested, 12 were nabbed in Kokstad.
A total of 77 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol last week.
The KZN Department of Transport MEC, Siboniso Duma, said this followed roadblocks by the Road Traffic Inspectorate teams all over the province.
Duma said this was part of the Zero Tolerance, No Nonsense and Alufakwa Campaign.
He said 251 vehicles were stopped, 11 motorists had no driver’s licences, and two that resembled moving coffins were suspended and removed from the roads.
He said that there were 29 arrests in Durban, 17 in Pietermaritzburg, 12 in Kokstad, 11 in Empangeni and five in Ladysmith.
“The figures are for August 15 and the wee hours of August 16. I mandated the team to arrest intoxicated drivers and ensure that they sober up in cells during the greater part of the weekend. Our campaign against drunken driving is now in full swing, and we will only rest once all irresponsible motorists are removed from our roads,” he said.
He added that their statistics and data from the Road Traffic Management Corporation indicate that 27.1% of fatal crashes are related to driver alcohol intoxication.
Duma said they reported in June that the winter period was characterised by increased night travel involving young people, especially over weekends.
The MEC said that car accidents were common during the winter months, partly due to longer nights and reduced visibility.
“The Road Accident Fund informed us that the agency paid out R43b for injury benefits to young accident survivors aged between 15 and 34. This is for the period from 2020 to 2022. This equals 44% of claims and an average of R14b per year. In addition, the RAF paid R2.86b in youth death-related benefits. We want to save young people from road accidents, as they are the future,” he said.
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