Publications
Partners
Letters and comments continue to pour in to Wheels24 after our report on Tuesday (June 11 2014) that traffic fines in the Western Cape will increase considerably from August 2014.
Donald Grant, provincial minister for transport and public works, reported that as part of the department’s “Winter Blitz” programme traffic fines would in some cases triple in an attempt to curb irresponsible driving.
Wheels24 reader QUINTIN SMIT has an interesting compromise:
I'll be happy to pay the new more expensive fines, on one condition - For every death on our roads, the traffic department will need to explain why it couldn't prevent it.
'ALWAYS AN IDIOT WITH A CAMERA'
The department is charged with keeping roads safe so why shouldn't it be held accountable when they fail to do so?
All they ever do is go after the 'easy money' with speed cameras, 90% of which are illegal anyways, and all of them set up in places where speeding is common, rather than “dangerous”.
For example the stretch of N2 leaving Riversdale heading towards George - two massive lanes, good visibility, excellent road surface with a 90km/h speed limit. Yet there is always some idiot with a white bantam bakkie and a camera.
I've never seen a crash on that road and driving down there at 120km/h would not be in the least bit dangerous but it's a very good source of income for them.
'YOU'D BETTER HAVE A DAMN GOOD EXCUSE'
Traffic cops have quotas to make, as much as they deny it. Why would they have quotas? Because it's not about making the roads safer, it's about making money - they justify it by claiming it will make the roads safer.
Increase the fines by 300% if you want but unless road deaths drop by 300% you'd better have a damn good excuse!
Click here for a full list of the traffic fine increases.
Click here to read the full Western Cape law offence code (pre-August 2014 increase)
More reader responses:
Sky-high traffic fines: Readers respond
Reader: Traffic fine increase 'pointless'
Traffic fine increases 'a rip-off'
What do you think of the proposed fine increases? Do you think they will deter irresponsible drivers? What do you think should be done to curb road deaths? Email us and we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
Will traffic fine increases in the Western Cape curb irresponsible driving? Have your say in our home page voting booth!
Donald Grant, provincial minister for transport and public works, reported that as part of the department’s “Winter Blitz” programme traffic fines would in some cases triple in an attempt to curb irresponsible driving.
Wheels24 reader QUINTIN SMIT has an interesting compromise:
I'll be happy to pay the new more expensive fines, on one condition - For every death on our roads, the traffic department will need to explain why it couldn't prevent it.
'ALWAYS AN IDIOT WITH A CAMERA'
The department is charged with keeping roads safe so why shouldn't it be held accountable when they fail to do so?
All they ever do is go after the 'easy money' with speed cameras, 90% of which are illegal anyways, and all of them set up in places where speeding is common, rather than “dangerous”.
For example the stretch of N2 leaving Riversdale heading towards George - two massive lanes, good visibility, excellent road surface with a 90km/h speed limit. Yet there is always some idiot with a white bantam bakkie and a camera.
I've never seen a crash on that road and driving down there at 120km/h would not be in the least bit dangerous but it's a very good source of income for them.
'YOU'D BETTER HAVE A DAMN GOOD EXCUSE'
Traffic cops have quotas to make, as much as they deny it. Why would they have quotas? Because it's not about making the roads safer, it's about making money - they justify it by claiming it will make the roads safer.
Increase the fines by 300% if you want but unless road deaths drop by 300% you'd better have a damn good excuse!
Click here for a full list of the traffic fine increases.
Click here to read the full Western Cape law offence code (pre-August 2014 increase)
More reader responses:
Sky-high traffic fines: Readers respond
Reader: Traffic fine increase 'pointless'
Traffic fine increases 'a rip-off'
What do you think of the proposed fine increases? Do you think they will deter irresponsible drivers? What do you think should be done to curb road deaths? Email us and we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
Will traffic fine increases in the Western Cape curb irresponsible driving? Have your say in our home page voting booth!
