AS you drive on the roads during this festive season, do not break the law!
If you break it, know that you will pay the price.
Cartrends put together the amounts you could pay for different offences…
Expired Licence: This is usually the first thing traffic police check when they pull you over, so make sure both your car licence and your driver’s licence are valid.
Driving without a valid licence is against the law, and if you are caught doing so, you could be fined or even locked up.
Each province and jurisdiction sets its penalties in terms of the offences laid out in the National Road Travel Act. In South Africa, the fine for driving with an expired vehicle license disc can be up to R1 000. The amount of the fine depends on how many months the licence has expired.
The penalty is calculated at 10% of the annual licensing fee for each month the licence is expired.
Driving without a driver’s licence: It’s a traffic violation to drive a car without a valid driver’s licence. If caught, the fine for driving without a license is R1 250.
Un-roadworthy car: The fine for driving an unroadworthy vehicle on a public road is R1 000, and three demerit points can be added to a driver’s record. Your may also be impounded, and the driver may be responsible for storage costs.
Over speeding: Exceeding the speed limit by 10km per hour may result in a fine of R250, while exceeding it by 30 km per hour or more may result in a fine of R1 000 or more. A non-admission of guilt (NAG) fine is issued for speeding more than 30km per hour over the limit. This is a serious offence that requires the driver to appear in court and admit guilt.
Using a cellphone while driving: The law does not make a distinction between checking your route on an app and chatting on your phone, so beware of using your phone while driving. Depending on the area, you could have your phone confiscated and get a fine. The Western Cape is known for using the confiscation and release method. The fine for using a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free system is between R500 and R1000.
Drunk driving: You can face imprisonment of up to 6 years or a fine of the minimum amount of R20 000 for driving under the influence of alcohol. You also face the risk of having your driver’s license suspended. The court has the discretion to hand down a suspend sentence on condition that you do not drink and drive again.
So, the question is, are you willing to take the risk?
Let’s be safe.
