Since August, 909 motorists have been arrested for drunk driving in KwaZulu-Natal.

This past weekend alone, 84 motorists were arrested in Empangeni as authorities clamp down on reckless driving.

ALSO READ: More than 80 motorists arrested in Empangeni

Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said the department is setting the tone for the festive season with heightened enforcement operations.

“We are satisfied that our highly dedicated Road Traffic Inspectorate team is systematically driving behavioural change through sustained law enforcement,” said Duma.

“Research has proven that changing road user behaviour is central to making our roads safer.”

Duma said statistics show that up to 87% of road fatalities in South Africa are linked to road user behaviour, underscoring the need for public education and enforcement.

Since operations intensified in August, Duma said the province has recorded a noticeable reduction in road crashes and fatalities.

“As we move into the festive season and beyond into Easter, we aim to advance the country’s road safety initiatives and meet our commitment to the United Nations Decade of Action Road Safety target of reducing fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030,” said Duma.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

HAVE YOUR SAY