Throughout the year, traffic officers of the Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) patrol high-risk routes to stop speedsters in their tracks. These officers are saving lives through proactive intervention, and their interventions support the Department’s Safely Home #SpeedKillsFacts road safety campaign which runs during August.
Speeding plays a causal and aggravating role in many fatal crashes on Western Cape roads. Many motorists are guilty of driving over the speed limit. Where there are cameras, speedsters are photographed and held accountable for their actions. Visible law enforcement helps to keep drivers within the speed limit and reduces the risk of crashes.
“We encourage motorists to slow down. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of a horrific crash that could result in serious injuries or death. We will continue to address speeding through awareness campaigns, enforcement activities, and the Average Speed Over Distance (ASOD) camera law enforcement network,” said Kenny Africa, DTPW Chief Director: Traffic Management.
The ASOD system now covers 452 km of the most dangerous roads in the Western Cape. As a vehicle passes an ASOD camera, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system retrieves information about the vehicle from eNaTIS (Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System) and other databases. “This system recently contributed to the arrest of a person driving at an average speed of 182km/h in a 120km/h zone between Laingsburg and Dwyka, and an average speed of 171km/h in a 120km/h zone between Leeu Gamka and Beaufort West. The speeds with which someone has to drive to log those averages is shocking. The driver was arrested at 03:55 am, which shows that law enforcement never sleeps,” Africa said.
“We take pride in our innovative work that embraces technology, advanced systems, and best practices. Because officers on the road already have information on their handheld devices about approaching vehicles, they can focus on stopping those where possible infringements have been detected. This makes for much more efficient law enforcement than random stops,” added Africa.
Contrary to popular belief, the goal of Provincial Traffic Services is not to make money from fines. Income generated from fines goes to the treasuries of municipalities who use it for service delivery in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act. Our primary concern has always been to help ensure that motorists arrive safely at their destinations, particularly when travelling long distances. Roads are becoming increasingly dangerous, and slowing down can make the difference between arriving alive and dying on the road.
By adhering to the rules of the road, together we can reduce road deaths.
Join Safely Home on Twitter @WCGovSafelyHome under the hashtag #SpeedKillsFacts