Two truck drivers have landed themselves in serious trouble after being busted by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) and SAPS for drinking and driving along South Africa’s busiest freight route, the N3.
One of the drivers was caught in Van Reenen while operating a truck bearing registration JG43DLGP.
He was found to be three times over the legal limit, blowing 0.32mg/1000ml, far above the legal limit of 0.10mg. He’s now cooling off in the Ladysmith police cells awaiting his court appearance.
But it gets worse…
A second truck driver, behind the wheel of a truck with registration BH78GCZN HMV, was caught 20 times over the legal limit, clocking in at a staggering 2.0mg/1000ml! His day in court is set for 18 August 2025.
This all comes in the wake of a recent tragedy on the N2 in Empangeni, where nine lives were lost in a devastating crash involving a truck. MEC Siboniso Duma, deeply shaken by the incident, has now mandated the RTI to double down on their “No Nonsense, Zero Tolerance and Alufakwa” campaign.
Read | Drinking and driving cop nabbed two days in a row
“We cannot afford to allow our road networks to be playgrounds for reckless truckers. These acts cost lives and drain our economy,” said Duma during a public briefing at Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House.
Duma stressed that trucks are capable of mass destruction in a single crash due to their size and impact — hence the extra scrutiny.
According to Duma, road accidents cost the economy over R164 billion annually, with the Road Accident Fund (RAF) paying out R45.6 billion in the last financial year alone.
SA Trucker’s Take:
Yoh, 20 times over the limit?! That’s not just a dop — that’s madness behind the wheel! Truckers, let’s be honest with ourselves. One mistake and you’re not just losing your job — you’re ending lives. It’s time we all wake up. Alufakwa. Let’s clean up our act!
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