At the beginning of September, the National Assembly officially passed the\u00a0Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO), bringing with it the new demerit system.<\/p>\n
While it’s not known when exactly the new laws will come into effect, recent talk suggests that they will be fully implemented by 2018, said\u00a0Eugene Herbert, MD of Masterdrive.<\/p>\n
As a result Herbert suggested that\u00a0drivers begin brushing up on their driving skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe system is not merely meant to punish law breakers, but change driver behaviour all together. South Africa has a culture of drivers who push the boundaries,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Punishments are not severe enough to create any real fear of the consequences. Now drivers need to break these habits and place more importance on safe and responsible driving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each person starts with a zero balance, with points being added every time you are caught committing a traffic offence, and depending on how serious the offence is.<\/p>\n
Once you have 13 points your license is suspended for three months. For every three offence-free months, one point is deducted from your balance.<\/p>\n
If your license is suspended three times, it can be cancelled.<\/p>\n
Where does this leave businesses?<\/strong><\/p>\n AARTO can have serious ramifications on businesses, said Herbert.<\/p>\n \u201cHarsher consequences for traffic offences mean harsher consequences for your business. If a driver is suspended they cannot drive for you anymore leaving you to source and train new drivers.”<\/p>\n Additionally, if the driver accumulates points in their private capacity it will affect your business operations as well, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness owners need to also be aware that the owner of the vehicle is held responsible for demerits unless you notify RTIA that someone else was driving. This also creates a larger administrative burden and requires changes to employment contracts.\u201d<\/p>\n Businesses, particularly, should be preparing for it before implementation, said Herbert.<\/p>\n \u201cA substantial amount of administration requirements need to be in place before implementation to protect your fleets.”<\/p>\n
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