MAJOR NEW ROAD RULES PROPOSED FOR SOUTH AfFRICA.

[Phillip Coetser]

Metro Police.jpg

Hi all, it's very sad to see and hear of the ongoing Road Carnage on our roads (Carnage - Dictionary definition and meaning for word carnage.... the savage and excessive killing of many people), and with that said, I read this article online, (https://businesstech.co.za/news/motorin ... ca-report/) and I quote:

MAJOR NEW ROAD RULES PROPOSED FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

In a bid to cut down on the high death rate on South African roads, traffic authorities are planning a number of radical new regulations.

According to a report by the Sunday Times, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has a proposed a complete overhaul of South Africa’s current testing and driving rules.

Some of these new changes include:

•Motorists will need to undertake a retest every five years when they renew their driver’s licences;
•Travel restrictions on newly qualified drivers
The report claims that, under the proposed RTMC regulations, newly qualified motorists will be restricted from making long road trips. These trips are defined as being over 150 kilometres – with the restriction lasting for a full year upon receiving a valid driver's license. How this specific law will be implemented and monitored is not yet known
•Newly qualified drivers must still be accompanied by an experienced driver for their first six months;
•Additional testing for truck, bus and taxi drivers;
•Motorists will not be allowed to obtain a heavy-truck licence if they do not already have a car licence.
Other proposals include additional tests for taxi, bus and truck drivers, which will have a bearing on the granting of professional driving permits.
RTMC says most road accidents are caused by young and inexperienced drivers.

RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said the organisation also wanted a complete overhaul of the K53 driving test.
However, he noted that this was still in the discussion phase, and completed proposals would be submitted to transport minister Blade Nzimande and parliament for approval.
There has been no indication as to when the above changes will be gazetted by government or come into effect.

Regards.

[F.Viljoen]

Points 1, 2 and 3 must certainly be a 1 st of April joke!

[Jan Horn]

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is another one of those useless organisations funded by the tax payers that have achieved nothing over the years of it existence.
What would the logistic implications be for implementing there suggestions. To retest each licenced driver ins South Africa every 5 years will be impossible to implement. Not even calculating the cost to the licenced drivers. Imagine the cost to hire a suitable truck to use to renew my EC licence.
They will do better by getting the traffic cops out of their air-conditioned offices and on the road to minimize moving violations and getting un road worthy vehicles off the road. We travel at least three times a year down to Cape town and have only been stopped once in 5 years only to be given a well done certificate for wearing a safety belt and the tires on the car being legal. I must say the timing of that one was impeccable because it was in the middle of the ASOD zone at Beaufort West, but I have seen plenty of maned speed traps.
Law enforcement is the only deterrent for bad driving and I am not talking about speed traps. Knowing that you will get nailed for bad driving like skipping a red robot, stop sign or over taking when it is not safe will go a long way to improve road safety.
Retesting for drivers licences will achieve nothing because passing a drivers licence does not cause you to become a good driver. If it did why do we have bad licenced drivers in the first place.

[Robsan]

Hi,
I agree with Jan and Frans, in September I did a flower tour from Stilfontein< Springbok up to Mossel Bay and back to Stilfontein a trip of 3465 km was stopped once at Gharies for a safety check, saw a few nasty accidents but traffic cops no where to be seen, in Stilfontein and klerksdorp you can ignore a stop or robot in front of a traffic he just looks the other way