Presently, South African law penalises general drivers for exceeding a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05g/100ml, while professional drivers face stricter limits of 0.02g/100ml.
However, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy emphasised that the driving and drinking policy, which has remained unchanged for nearly three decades, no longer reflects the realities of modern South Africa.
‘Our driving and drinking policy was formulated almost 30 years ago. In today’s South Africa, it is totally unacceptable that there is a law that allows people to drink and then drive,’ Creecy stated.
She articulated the urgent need for a clear, unambiguous rule that categorically prohibits drinking and driving.
This policy amendment comes in the wake of alarming statistics from the 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign, where among 173,695 drivers tested for drunk driving, 8,561 tested positive for alcohol consumption. Notably, this represents a staggering 144% increase compared to the previous year.
Nevertheless, this festive season also showcased a 5% reduction in fatalities and crashes, marking the lowest recorded crashes in five years.
According to the data disclosed by Creecy, a total of 1,427 fatalities arose from 1,172 crashes in the recent festive period, revealing the complexity of the road safety situation.
The number of road blocks conducted by law enforcement featured prominently in this success, with 1,632 roadblocks leading to the stopping and checking of 1.8 million vehicles and the issuance of over 450,000 traffic fines.In a broader perspective, the trend in road safety appears to be improving, with preliminary annual statistics for 2025 reflecting the lowest number of collisions and deaths in the last five years.
A total of 11,418 fatalities were recorded from 9,674 crashes, indicating a decline in both crashes and fatalities when compared to 2024.
Public and political support for the proposed amendment is gaining traction. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has lauded the move as essential for addressing the high levels of drinking and driving that lead to unnecessary loss of life.
‘This is a badly needed intervention to reduce our unacceptably high levels of drinking and driving, and the completely avoidable resulting loss of life,’Cosatu stated.
Echoing this sentiment, the GOOD Party also expressed its support for Creecy’s initiative. ‘We must protect our citizens and all road users,’ they declared, advocating for the legislative changes to align South Africa’s road safety standards with those of countries like Australia, where drinking and driving is entirely prohibited.
Compiled by Sibuliso Duba
First published on Cape {town} etc
