Automotive News South Africa

You may soon be sentenced to rehab for bad driving

Parliament has heard about a proposed rehabilitation programme to be launched at the same time as the new demerit system.
You may soon be sentenced to rehab for bad driving
© Luca Bertolli via 123RF

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill aims to establish rehab centres around the country for road offenders. Taxi drivers as well as drivers, if found guilty in a court of law, could be sentenced to a programme, which will ultimately reduce the demerit points gained.

12-point demerit system

The new Bill has proposed a 12 point system. Minor infringements will cost the driver points until the 12 threshold has been reached. The driver’s licence will be suspended thereafter for three months. Should the driver be arrested and convicted in court, according to this amendment, they will be sent on the rehab programme. Drivers can earn back their points through good driving behaviour.

Peter Baloyi of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency states that the programme will assist drivers in curbing bad driving behaviour. It will also improve your demerit score.

“Once they have completed the programme, we then reduce the demerit points by three,” Baloyi stated.

Currently, the proposed system states that a driver can lose two to three points by driving between 10 to 20kms/hour over the limit. It is therefore estimated that a driver can commit around four to five infringements before the license is suspended.

Continue reading the full article on Compare Guru.

Let's do Biz