Four pedestrians died on Western Cape roads over the weekend, while seven pedestrians have been arrested for walking while drunk, traffic authorities said on Monday.
Traffic officers arrested 17 motorists for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol - four were nabbed in the Swellendam area; three in Knysna; three in George; three in Caledon; two in Worcester; one in Somerset West; and one in Oudtshoorn.
Seven pedestrians were also arrested in Vredendal for allegedly walking under the influence of alcohol.
“Alcohol and roads just don’t mix - it’s a known fact and also one of the many #BoozeFreeRoads campaign lines in the Cape as part of the #SafelyHome initiative. In fact, alcohol is linked to 61 percent of pedestrian deaths,” says MEC Donald Grant.
“Pedestrians should not walk near traffic after consuming alcohol because their judgement is impaired.”
Breath testing was performed on 1851 drivers. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in Swellendam.
At 1.11mg of alcohol/1000ml of breath, this is over four times the legal limit of 0.24mg/1000ml.
Five other persons were arrested:
- One for possession of a stolen vehicle in Beaufort West;
- One for providing false information in Swellendam;
- One for reckless and negligent driving in George;
- One for crimen injuria in Mossel Bay; and
- One for false documentation in Mossel Bay.
Also, 245 speeding offences were recorded and fines of R330 300 were issued. The highest speed recorded was 152km/h in a 120km/h zone in Laingsburg.