South African motorists travelling in Johannesburg and Cape Town will see a significant increase in traffic stops and speed traps this festive season as traffic authorities implement high-density operational plans to crack down on reckless driving.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is is shifting its strategy to align with the national “Safer Festive Season Campaign”.
“JMPD will implement a high-density, integrated operational plan across all regions of Johannesburg, focusing heavily on visible policing, especially during peak travel times and high-risk periods,” it said.
“The JMPD plans to significantly increase the frequency and duration of multi-disciplinary roadblocks during the festive season.”
Roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints will also be conducted in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the Gauteng Traffic Police, and the South African Police Service.
It noted that the roadblocks will be strategically positioned on key national routes (N1, N3, N12, M1) and central urban arteries to ensure maximum impact on both compliance and crime prevention.
“The presence of these roadblocks will serve as a strong deterrent to crime and irresponsible road behaviour,” the JMPD said.
For speeding, the police department indicated they plan to tackle the issue with fixed-point and mobile speed enforcement technologies.
It also explained that the deployment schedule has been adjusted to ensure 24/7 enforcement visibility on high-volume routes.
“This includes dedicated units focused on manned speed enforcement to immediately address and process drivers caught for excessive speeds.”
Its zero-tolerance approach, it noted, is also the result of data that showed that high speeds and disregard for road rules are major contributors to fatal crashes.
The JMPD additionally stressed that the goal isn’t to increase revenue collection, but to enforce and create new, safer driving behaviours through consistent, visible, and aggressive enforcement actions against offenders.
As a part of this, sobriety checkpoints will be set up across Johannesburg’s major arterial and suburban routes.
“DUI arrests remain a core metric of our enforcement success in preventing road carnage,” the JMPD said.
Compliance checks targeting unroadworthy vehicles, invalid licences, and public transport operators without permits will also form a key part of this campaign.
24-hour patrols in Cape Town
Cape Town plans to implement similar measures over the holidays with 24/7 traffic patrols around the city.
“The traffic services will be on patrol on a 24/7 basis during the festive season as part of the City’s Festive Season safety plan,” said Cape Town’s spokesperson for traffic services, Kevin Jacobs.
“The specialised Highway Patrol Unit will also be out on patrol to ensure a safe road environment and to assist motorists on the highways.”
While these campaigns are sure to be a nuisance for many law-abiding motorists, its implementation is not unexpected.
The festive season in South Africa is historically high in road accidents and deaths, with the figures steadily rising each year.
In 2024, the year-end holiday season saw 1,502 deaths recorded on the country’s roads, a substantial 5.3% year-on-year increase from 2023.
Transport minister Barbara Creecy has noted that poor driving behaviour, including speeding, recklessness, and driving under the influence, is a key factor in this carnage.
That said, she also stated that traffic authorities identified 16,527 vehicles as unroadworthy during their checks during the 2024 festive season.
Last year at this time, the traffic department conducted over 1,000 roadblocks and issued 7,100 infringements.
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