Transport Department to Scrap Legal Alcohol Limit for Drivers

Despite the rise in alcohol-related detections, the festive season recorded an overall improvement in road safety outcomes.

 

The Department of Transport has announced plans to amend Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) to eliminate South Africa’s legal alcohol consumption limit for drivers, effectively moving toward a zero-tolerance approach to drinking and driving.

Currently, the law criminalises driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.05g/100ml or 0.24mg/1000ml breath for general drivers, while professional drivers are subject to stricter limits of 0.02g/100ml blood or 0.10mg/1000ml breath.

However, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said these thresholds are no longer acceptable in today’s context.

“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 said.

“The time has come for us to amend the law so that we have a clear-cut, easy-to-understand and unambiguous policy that says drinking and driving is not allowed. A law that allows drivers to drink a certain amount and then get behind the wheel must be scrapped.”

Announcement Linked to Festive Season Road Safety Data

The Minister made the announcement during a media briefing held with Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, where they released the 2025/2026 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign report, covering the period from 1 December 2025 to 11 January 2026.

According to preliminary data, law enforcement officers tested 173,695 drivers for alcohol consumption during the festive season. Of these, 8,561 drivers tested positive, representing a 144% increase compared to the same period last year.

Despite the rise in alcohol-related detections, the festive season recorded an overall improvement in road safety outcomes.

Festive Season Crashes and Fatalities Decline

The data shows a 5% reduction in both road crashes and fatalities compared to the previous festive season.

• 1,427 fatalities were recorded from 1,172 crashes

• This was the lowest number of crashes in five years

• Fatalities matched levels recorded in the 2023/24 festive season

“This year’s festive season outcomes demonstrate that enforcement and awareness efforts are yielding results, but alcohol consumption remains a serious and persistent risk on our roads,” the Minister said.

During the campaign, authorities conducted 1,632 roadblocks, stopping and checking 1.8 million vehicles nationwide. More than 450,000 traffic fines were issued, while 525 motorists were arrested for excessive speeding.

Annual Road Safety Trends Show Improvement

Encouragingly, preliminary annual data for 1 January to 31 December 2025 also indicates a downward trend in road crashes and fatalities.

• 11,418 fatalities from 9,674 crashes were recorded in 2025

• This compares to 12,581 fatalities from 10,633 crashes in 2021

• Road crashes declined by 6.4% compared to 2024

• Fatalities decreased by 6.2% year-on-year

Minister Creecy said the proposed zero-alcohol policy forms part of broader efforts to strengthen road safety legislation, reduce preventable deaths, and change driver behaviour.