New Cape Town road laws are here – How to make sure your car doesn’t get impounded

Cape Town’s amended traffic by-laws have officially gone into effect, introducing several new penalties for motorists that can result in their vehicles being impounded.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security, Alderman JP Smith, said that the new by-laws were implemented as part of an effort to combat “the trend of insolence and carnage on Cape Town’s roads.”

The new legislation was first made available for public participation in October 2019 where it received more than 1,800 comments, before finally being promulgated for the 2023 financial year which began in July, reported CapeTownETC.

New penalties to watch out for

Under the amended 2021 traffic by-laws, Cape Town’s authorities can now impound a car and fine the owner for any of the following offences:

• Vehicles that have been illegally modified
• Vehicles with defective lights between the hours of sunset and sunrise
• Vehicles with missing number plates, or plates that have not been properly secured
• Vehicles that are not roadworthy in accordance with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) code for various categories of motor vehicles.

Additionally, the updated legislation now allows traffic police to impound cars that are unlicensed, or are being driven by a person without a licence.

Failing to stop when ordered to do so by a police or traffic official can also result in your wheels getting locked up, and drivers arrested for negligent and reckless driving, or for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, will have their vehicles taken away until court proceedings are complete.

The legislation also makes provisions for illegal street racing, drifting, and spinning, stating that anyone who attends these events, not just the drivers, can have their cars impounded.

When a vehicle is taken, an official should issue the owner a receipt with the following information:

• The current state of the vehicle
• Where the vehicle will be held
• The contents present within the vehicle
• The process to be followed in order to release the vehicle

The new laws have drawn criticism from the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), which argues that it will impact thousands of taxi drivers and has the potential to drive large parts of the industry out of business.