AARTO TO KICK INTO GEAR

The national rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act (AARTO) has been officially gazetted, after President Ramaphosa signed the Proclamation on Friday.

According to the Government Gazette issued on 1 August, most sections of the act will come into effect in major municipalities across the country on December 1, 2025, followed by the remaining municipalities on April 1, 2026.

The remaining sections of the AARTO Act (26 to 28), which are believed to include the dreaded demerit points, are set to take effect on September 1, 2026.

A total of 69 municipalities will implement AARTO from the beginning of December. 

This includes Cape Town and Stellenbosch, while the new laws will also kick into gear in major like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekhuruleni, Mbombela, Polokwane, Durban, Newcastle, Ladysmith, Bloemfontein, Qgeberha, East London, George and Beaufort West at the same time.

In July, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) said service outlets had been created across the country and over 25 000 traffic officers were currently being trained to implement the new system within the confines of the law.

Every motorist begins with zero demerit points on their driving licence, with different demerit points prescribed for various offences. If a total of 15 points is exceeded, the licence will be suspended for three months for each point over this threshold. 

Some offences will be "decriminalised" under AARTO, such as minor speeding infringements and failure to wear a seatbelt, more serious offences will result in criminal procedures.

These include driving under the influence, driving with a suspended licence and ‘excessive’ speeding, in which you exceed the limit by more than 40km/h.