Pretoria – The Gauteng Traffic Police has arrested at least five drivers for excessively speeding on the province’s major routes, including a 44-year-old man who clocked 216km/h along the N4 freeway with a maximum limit of R120km/h.
“The Gauteng Traffic Police arrested five drivers after (being) found excessively speeding on Gauteng roads. The suspects were arrested on Wednesday night until the early hours of (Thursday) morning during Gauteng Traffic Police’s high unit operations conducted on various Gauteng major routes and freeways such as the N4 freeway from Pretoria to Mpumalanga, the N14 freeway from Pretoria to Krugersdorp, the N1 Pretoria to Johannesburg and the R21 freeway from Pretoria to OR Tambo International Airport,” said spokesperson Sello Maremane.
“Amongst the arrested suspects was a 44-year-old male driver who was caught excessively driving a BMW 318i at 216km per hour on a prescribed maximum limit of 120km per hour along the N4 freeway from Pretoria towards Mpumalanga.”
The man was detained at Bronkhorstspruit police station pending a bail hearing application.
“Meanwhile, all the other suspects are expected to appear at various magistrate courts to face charges relating to reckless and negligent driving with an alternative charge of driving a vehicle exceeding the prescribed speed maximum limit of 120km per hour. The speedsters were driving at an excess speed of over 160km per hour on a prescribed maximum limit of 120km per hour,” said Maremane.
“Excessive driving is one of the common causes of road crashes resulting in fatalities. The Gauteng Traffic Police will ensure that high-speed operations are intensified in all corridors in an effort to enhance road safety.”
The Gauteng Traffic Police has appealed to motorists at large to abide by the general speed limit of 120km/h on the province’s major routes.
“Anyone found endangering the lives of innocent road users by excessively driving will be severely punished,” said Maremane.
IOL