934 arrested for drunk driving over Easter weekend

As road traffic management authorities continued with operations aimed at curbing the road carnage over the Easter weekend, 934 motorists were arrested countrywide for driving under the influence of alcohol between Thursday and Saturday. Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Simon Zwane, said drunk driving has been a headache over the Easter long weekend. “Arrests related to driving under the influence of alcohol increased by a staggering 39% as law enforcement officers intensified their efforts to save lives on the road.

This represents 263 more people arrested during the same period last year,” Zwane said. He said there was also a noticeable 31.6% increase in the number of vehicles impounded, with a total of 1,215 vehicles impounded in the period compared to 923 in the same period last year. “This means there were more vehicles transporting members without permits or in violation of permit conditions as people tried to make a quick buck,” said Zwane.

On a positive note, Zwane said there was a notable decrease in the number of unroadworthy vehicles discontinued. He said there was a decline of about 30% in the number of unroadworthy vehicles that had been discontinued, with a total of 688 vehicles being discontinued compared to 979 in the same period last year. Zwane said law enforcement officers will continue to monitor traffic on all the national and alternative routes as the long weekend comes to an end.

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He urged motorists to co-operate with officials and comply with all the rules. “It is always better to arrive home late than not to arrive at all,” Zwane said.

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