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8h ago

South Africa Steps Up Holiday Road Enforcement as Preliminary Deaths Drop 30%

JMPD reports 174 drunk-driving arrests in a week under a round-the-clock patrol pledge.

JMPD members searches motorist at Grasmere Toll Plaza south of Johannesburg on 18 January 2022. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
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Overview

  • Preliminary national data point to roughly a 30% year-on-year decline in festive-season road fatalities, with figures still subject to confirmation.
  • Johannesburg officers ran high-visibility roadblocks and targeted patrols from 22–28 December, resulting in 174 arrests for driving under the influence.
  • JMPD leaders reaffirm a zero-tolerance stance with a 24-hour presence on major routes and a clear warning that motorists who drink and drive will be arrested.
  • KwaZulu-Natal intensifies checks ahead of New Year’s Eve, reporting about 2,800 drunk-driving arrests since mid-December and a 9% drop in fatalities alongside fewer crashes.
  • Authorities frame the reductions within coordinated operations by metro police, SAPS and the RTMC, and urge motorists to designate sober drivers or use e-hailing and public transport.