New speeding law being piloted
2008-07-03 09:51
Carina van Wyk
Pretoria - A new traffic act, which will see motorists getting bigger fines - but also discounts if paid promptly - will take effect in the Tshwane metro area on Thursday.
It will be a pilot project before the system goes countrywide.
The new Administration and Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto), which will be announced at the Pumulani tollgate north of Pretoria by the Minister of Transport, Jeff Radebe.
The legislation will also be piloted in Johannesburg in November before being rolled out across the country during the course of 2009.
In terms of the law, if you drive between 151km/h and 155km/h on a highway with a speed limit of 120km/h, it could cost you R1 250.
If a motorist is caught breaking the speed limit by more than 35km/h, in any circumstance, they will be arrested there and then.
If you drive faster than this past a speed camera, you will be heading straight to court.
However, if you pay your fines within 32 days, you will get a 50% discount.
Punishment point system
The new Act also involves a punishment point system. It will be tested in Tshwane but the points won't really count against motorists.
"When it is introduced countrywide, everyone will start on a clean slate," said Collen Msibi, spokesperson for the Department of Transport.
A certain number of points are allocated to traffic offences depending on how serious the offence is. You can keep on driving until you have 12 points. For every point after that, your driver's licence will be suspended for three months. Therefore, if you have 14 points, you won't be allowed to drive for six months.
A point will be deducted for every three months in which you don't break a traffic rule.
Your driver's licence will be cancelled if it is suspended for a third time.
The points which motorists will be getting during the testing period in Tshwane, will therefore not be held against them.
Arrive Alive spokesperson Ntau Letebele, said the primary goal of the point system was to improve road safety by getting people who continually broke traffic rules, off the road.
Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Thandi Moya, said in terms of Aarto, motorists had five options when fined. You may either pay the fine within 32 days and get a 50% discount; you may make arrangements to pay off the fine; you may inform authorities that someone else was driving the car during the offence; you may state your case in court or you may make representations. After the 32 days there are also other options.
- Beeld