BMW Driver Arrested After Clocking Over 200km, 17 Others Arrested in Gauteng

• At least 18 Gauteng motorists have been arrested for operating their vehicles above the maximum zonal speed limits
• Of the arrestees, a 26-year-old driver of a BMW recorded a top speed of 207km per hour on the N1 freeway in Midrand
• Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane said the motorists will appear in various courts to face their charges

JOHANNESBURG - A BMW driver was arrested by the Gauteng Traffic Police's high-speed unit during a safer season operation on the N1 freeway in Midrand, Johannesburg, after recording a top speed of 207km per hour.

The 26-year-old is among 18 motorists arrested for speeding along the province's major routes, according to a News24 report. Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane said the drivers had all exceeded the limits of speeding in the zones where they were found.

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"They were operating their vehicles at excessive speeds which [contravened] the maximum speed limit of 120km per hour that is prescribed on a freeway. In the case of the BMW driver, he did not justify why he was speeding, or apologise for putting other road users in harms way," said Maremane.

"The said driver was taken to the Midrand police station and detained. The other suspects were nabbed along the N1, N14, and N4 national routes, and the M1 between Pretoria and Johannesburg and R21 Pretoria to Boksburg municipal and regional travel routes.

"The speeds they were travelling ranged from 160km per hour to above 200km per hour. All of them were arrested and charged with reckless and negligent driving. They will appear in various magistrate's courts in Johannesburg and Pretoria, having been released from police custody on bail.

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Maremane said excessive speeding was among the main factors contributing to fatal road crashes along Gauteng's busy roads. However, motorists have been warned that traffic authorities will not turn a blind eye to reckless and negligent driving behaviour, SowetanLIVE reported.

“The high-speed unit will be on high alert this festive season by continuously conducting patrol on Gauteng major routes to ensure motorists abide by the rules of the road, namely, the general speed limit,” added Maremane.

SA traffic: Over 2 000 motorists arrested already

It seems like things are picking up on Mzansi's roads very quickly this festive season despite numerous warnings of a fourth coronavirus wave. And peeps are not sticking to safety precautions on the roads either.

This is as Briefly News recently reported that the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reported that over 2 000 people have been arrested for road traffic violations since just the beginning of December.

RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane told eNCA that police would be keeping an extra close eye on the roads to make sure South Africans are following road safety measures this busy holiday.

Source: Briefly News