Holiday season time is now for South African Road Users for making yet another important diversion in line with traffic regulations meant to improve road safety and reduce road accidents at one of the busiest times of the year. These regulations, coming into effect from December 2004, will include increased emphasis on enforcement of road rules, keeping safe of pedestrians, and protection of frail road users. They will also enable the curbing of alarming numbers of road fatalities, usually on the holiday season, due to wide movement and reckless driving.
Major Changes to South African Traffic Laws
Harsh Penalties for Drunken Driving
One of the most significant changes is in the much stricter penalties for drinking and driving. The reduction of the limit to 0.02% for all drivers will mean that the new law brings a threshold of allowable blood alcohol drinking. It represents a huge step towards the South African government’s addressing one of its leading causes of road deaths: drunk driving. A caught driver could be placed under arrest immediately, charged steeply, and banned from driving, among other consequences. Additional authorities will be ramping up roadside alcohol testing during peak travel periods.
Measures for Ensforcing Road Safety: Pedestrians
Pedestrian accidents are presenting a large challenge in South Africa, particularly in cities and along hectic highways. The newest traffic laws introduce tougher penalties for drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at road crossings. The local municipality must also enhance the visibility of pedestrian zones. They need to add more traffic signs and lighting on roads frequently used by pedestrians because of the intended effects of reducing pedestrian fatalities that have been high by proportion in the country.
Speed Limits and Speed Cameras
Laws also prohibit speeding, especially in dangerous places like school zones, residential areas, and major highways. New technological speed cameras will be found nationwide. Apart from basic speeding offenses, these new cameras will ensure that individuals are monitored for driving too fast for road conditions, say bad weather or high volume traffic. Not only this, the fines for the excessive speeding also shoot up as per and cross distance traveled over the speed limit.
Passenger Safety and Seatbelt Regulations
Increased safety especially when transporting a passenger in a vehicle is now one of the features of the law. It shall be mandatory, not only in the front seats but also in rear seats, for passengers to be seated appropriately in seat belts while traveling in a vehicle. Be it as it may, death and injury resulting from road accidents can be reduced to a great extent with proper seatbelt use. It will also specify that no child below the age of 12 shall use other than the prescribed restraining devices for such children in that rear seat facility.
Motorcycle and Bicycle Regulations
With the increase in the use of motorcycles and bicycles in South Africa, new laws also apply to these vulnerable road users. Wearing of helmets has become compulsory for cyclists while standards for personal safety gear of motorcyclists have been specified recently. Furthermore, dedicated lanes are provided to both cyclists and motorcyclists enabling them to travel within lanes separate from those used for larger vehicles, which reduces the risk of accidents with such bigger vehicles.
Information and Enforcement of the Public
South Africa is implementing an elaborate public education awareness campaign to inform the public about the legislative changes intended for the enforcement of these laws. Such campaigns will include different media classrooms such as radio, television, and social media to tell users of the road, their obligations, and the consequences of breaching traffic regulations.
Enforcement agencies shall also deploy additional officers to monitor important tourist areas and major highways during the festive season. The presence of traffic officers will be enhanced along important places, which include rest stop areas and petrol stations, where drivers are encouraged to take breaks to avoid fatiguing-related traffic accidents.