Since December 1, more than 4 000 motorists have been arrested for drunk driving and other infractions across the country, the Road Traffic Management Corporation said on Wednesday.
The RTMC said in a statement that more than 4 160 motorists had been arrested.
“The majority were held for drunken driving while others were detained for producing false documents and driving public transport contrary to operating permits.”
The RTMC said officers would not hesitate to discontinue or impound unroadworthy vehicles.
“More than 1 738 vehicles have been discontinued and 3 340 impounded since the start of the festive season on December 1.”
Public transport operators were reminded to ensure that their drivers had proper documents to drive the vehicles, the vehicles were used on permitted routes and were not overloaded. It added that there would be severe consequences for those found breaking the law.
The RTMC also warned motorists to drive safely in wet weather.
The South African Weather Service had forecast rain in many parts of the country, it said.
The RTMC said the roads were expected to see a slight increase in traffic volumes on December 27.
“The RTMC urges motorists to reduce speed, keep a safe following distance, have lights on and avoid crossing flooded bridges. Motorists must also ensure that vehicles are in a roadworthy state. Lights, wipers, windscreens, brakes and tyres must be checked before the start of the journey.”
The Mercury