Drinking and driving is a leading cause of road accidents and related deaths in South Africa, with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) estimating that alcohol is involved in around 27% of road fatalities.

Roadside tests and arrests have always been seen as the main deterrent to this dangerous scourge, but the South African government is now looking at further ways to discourage drinking and driving.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa said there needed to be a broader conversation about the pricing of alcohol and where its tax levies are directed.

While the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is currently fed by the fuel tax structure, Hlengwa believes there is a strong argument for a direct RAF charge linked to alcohol sales in South Africa in order to deter the kind of behaviour that we see on the country’s roads.

“So if you hit the pocket, you make quite a significant stride towards ensuring that there is a second thought to how people conduct themselves and how they drink their alcohol and where they drink their alcohol,” Hlengwa said.

As well as serving as a deterrent, such a move could relieve some of the strain on the embattled RAF, which reportedly has an accumulated deficit of over R24 billion. The entity has also come to blows with Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) over its accounting methods. The RAF levy currently stands at R2.18 per litre of fuel.

Drunk pedestrians a significant danger

The Deputy Minister also stressed the importance of visible policing and consequences for those that do decide to drink and drive as well as drink and walk. He suggested finding additional punitive measures within the AARTO system as well as ramping up arrests.

Hlengwa said that intoxicated pedestrians were not only endangering themselves, but also forcing motorists to come to a dead stop, risking further road accidents.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced on Monday that 1,502 South Africans tragically died on the country’s roads over the 2024-2025 festive season, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. 41% of those who passed away were pedestrians.

Minister Creecy said that 3,840 motorists were arrested for drunken driving over the festive season.

The current legal blood-alcohol level for driving in South Africa is 0.05g or more per 100ml of blood. According to Arrive Alive, a person may be fined up to R120,000 for drunk driving, plus an additional R180,000 if it’s a culpable homicide case. A court can, in its discretion, also suspend or cancel a driver’s licence for this offense.

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