The City of Cape Town is taking a tough stance on street racing and reckless driving with the introduction of new traffic by-law amendments. The proposed changes, which were approved by the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee, aim to enhance road safety by allowing the impounding of vehicles involved in illegal activities such as street racing, drunk driving, and reckless driving.
The amendments will also target motorists who use false number plates or drive vehicles that emit excessive noise. According to the City, the new by-law will support a “no tolerance approach” to reckless driving behaviour. The public participation process, which ran from September to November last year, received 132 submissions, with 24 related directly to the proposed amendments.
Street Racing and Reckless Driving in Cape Town
Street racing and reckless driving have become a major concern in Cape Town, with the City receiving numerous complaints about dangerous driving behaviour. Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said that the City’s Traffic Service is struggling to keep up with the high volume of complaints. “Our Traffic Service cannot keep up with the avalanche of complaints about driving behaviour,” Smith said. “And that is why we have revised the by-law yet again, to enable our staff to take tougher action against those road users who appear incapable of showing any regard for law, order and the right to life of those around them.”
How the New By-Law Amendments Will Work
The new by-law amendments will give the City the power to impound vehicles involved in street racing, reckless driving, and other violations. Motorists who are caught driving under the influence or using false number plates will also face having their vehicles impounded. The City will also be able to impound vehicles that are found to be causing excessive noise, which is a new provision that was added after the public participation process concluded.
For more information on the City of Cape Town’s traffic by-laws, visit the City of Cape Town’s official website. The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) also provides information on road safety and traffic laws, which can be found on their website.
The following are some of the key changes to the traffic by-law:
- Impounding of vehicles involved in street racing and reckless driving
- Impounding of vehicles driven by motorists who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Impounding of vehicles with false number plates
- Impounding of vehicles that emit excessive noise
The amended by-law will now be sent to the Mayoral Committee before being tabled at a full Council meeting for final approval and implementation.
