Government wants to force rehab on anyone who breaks South Africa’s new road rules
South Africa’s new driving licence demerit system will introduce strict consequences for repeat traffic offenders, and drivers who lose their licences under the new rules will have to go through mandatory rehabilitation before they can get back on the road.
The system forms part of the Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, which will track infringements and penalise motorists based on how often they break traffic laws.
Under the system, every motorist will start with zero demerit points. Each time a driver commits and pays for a traffic infringement, points will be added to their licence.
Once a motorist reaches 15 points, their licence will be suspended. The suspension becomes longer depending on how many points they have exceeded the limit by.
For every point above 15, the driver will face a three-month ban. For example, if a motorist has 19 points, they will be suspended for 12 months.
Drivers with suspended licences will not be allowed to drive any vehicle at all, and doing so will count as a criminal offence.
A licence can only be suspended twice. If a driver hits the 15-point threshold for a third time, their licence will be cancelled completely. They will then have to redo both their learner’s test and driving test from scratch.
To get back on the road after a cancellation, motorists will need to complete a new “driver rehabilitation programme.”
According to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), this programme is aimed at frequent offenders and focuses on correcting the attitudes and behaviours that lead to repeated violations.
It will include lessons on road laws, the responsibilities of licensed drivers, and the dangers of unsafe driving. The programme will also include a driving simulator test and a psychological assessment.
The simulator is used to test a driver’s skills in different situations, while the psychological evaluation checks whether the driver is mentally and emotionally ready to return to the road.
ARRTO delayed
After completing the programme successfully, a driver will have four demerit points removed from their record.
This will allow them to apply immediately for their learner’s and driver’s licence tests. Alternatively, they can wait for their disqualification period to end.
Although these rules are being prepared, the national rollout of the AARTO system has been delayed again.
The plan was for the system to start operating in 69 municipalities on 1 December 2025. However, the Department of Transport postponed the launch to 1 July 2026 after finding that several municipalities were not ready.
Problems included incomplete staffing for law enforcement and back-office operations, systems that were not aligned across municipalities, and funding issues.
The department said it will publish new implementation dates soon and will still follow a phased rollout.
The original plan was to start with the initial 69 municipalities, then expand to 144 more from April 2026, and finally complete the national rollout by September 2026. With the delay, full implementation is now expected only around mid-2027.
The AARTO system has faced strong criticism from various sectors. Civil action groups like OUTA argue that it is too complicated and will not improve road safety.
The Western Cape government has pushed to be exempt from the system completely. Public sector unions, including the PSA, have expressed concerns that the system could create additional administrative problems, increase corruption, and potentially result in job losses.
Despite the pushback, the government insists that the demerit system and rehabilitation programme are necessary to reduce road accidents and change driving behaviour across the country.
Loading ...