Taking a road trip is arguably the most popular way in which South Africans’ get to their holiday destinations. While safe and legal driving has always been imperative, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, recently signed the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Bill into law to help traffic officials enforce this.
Driving to Baviaanskloof Image credit: Teagan Cunniffe.
It’s hoped that the implementation of a demerit system in Johannesburg and Tshwane will help to change driver behaviour.
Also read: Kruger calling: an 8-day road trip
How the demerit system works:
Every driver starts off with a clean slate of zero points, however, if you get 12 points, your licence will be suspended for a period of three months. If you exceed three suspensions you could lose your licence permanently and if a licence has been suspended for the third time, it can be cancelled.
According to Wesbank, ‘Points work on an accumulative basis with a different number of points assigned to specific traffic infringements, together with a fine.’
If you have accrued points and if don’t have any further traffic violations within a three-month period, one point will be removed every three months.
These are the amount of points allocated for various offenses:
- Driving without a licence equals four demerit points;
- Driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance will be six demerit points (determined by court);
- Using and holding cell phone while driving will be one demerit point;
- Speeding can be anywhere from two to six points depending on the speed limit (determined by court);
- Skipping a stop sign (light vehicles) is one demerit point and for buses and trucks it is two points.
Several European countries already make use of a demerit points system and this has been adapted for South African road users.
Also read: Absolutely everything you need to know about 4X4ing Lesotho
Featured image: Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) /Flickr
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