Cape Town – The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RMTC) says they have resumed discussions with the Department of Justice to reclassify road crashes and impose hasher punishments towards negligent driving on the roads.
The corporation says if road crashes are reclassified those convicted on charges related to negligent driving could face a possibility of two-year jail time.
The RTMC has argued that the current measures are not enough to keep motorist from ignoring the rules of the road as offenders always get away with charges by paying fines.
Speaking to Power 98.7, RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane, said that they were targeting drivers who are always driving between 120 and 150km/h and those who were driving under the influence of alcohol.
“What normally happens now with the current dispensation is that if you have been driving 160km/h you are taken to the police station, where you will be charged; sometimes police will give you a bail and in some instance they may refuse bail until you appear before the magistrate.
“But we want to do away with that, and we want people to be held in police custody until they plead their matter in front of the magistrate. Even with the sentences we have seen people getting away from these charges with an unreasonable bail amount while they were arrested driving recklessly on the road.
“So, we are currently having those discussions with the Department of Justice so that there can be consistency in sentencing and people should be sent to jail for certain period of time as result negligent driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol,” Zwane said.
Zwane added that the reclassification would require an amendment in the law so that minimum sentences can be implemented and, as soon as the department decides on it, these sentences can be affective soon.
IOL