Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has welcomed the R18 000 fine imposed on a motorcyclist, who was arrested for travelling at 232 kilometres per hour in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, 12 December 2009.
The 33 year old motorcyclist from Umbilo in Durban was travelling on the N2 near Scottburgh when he was arrested and released on R3 000 bail. He appeared in the Scottburgh magistrates court earlier today, Monday, 14 December 2009 and was fined R18 000.
“We welcome the sentence imposed on this homicidal speedster and hope that this will send a clear message to other motorists that if your commit any traffic offence you will be caught and will face the full might of the law.
“People who are convicted of such dangerous speeds should face automatic forfeiture of their driving licences. It is for this reason that as of next year, we will introduce the administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) which will involve changing the life time right of having a driving licence to a privilege which drivers must earn by remaining within the law.
“Since 1 December, more than 1 500 drunk drivers have been arrested around the country. Approximately 500 drunk drivers have been arrested in the Eastern Cape alone. In KwaZulu-Natal close to 250 drunk drivers have been arrested; traffic volumes on the country’s roads are expected to increase this week and law enforcement officers will be out in full force to ensure zero tolerance for all traffic offences.
“Safety on the roads is everybody’s responsibility. We cannot continue treating road deaths as normal when we are facing death by human error, death through carelessness, death through drunkenness, death through speeding. All of which can be stopped. Almost all deaths on the road can be avoided because 90% of crashes are caused by human error,” Minister Ndebele said.
All road users are encouraged to report bad driving on 0861 400 800.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4050
Issued by: Department of Transport
14 December 2009
