NEW LAWS TO HIT DRAG RACERS HARD, ONLY TARGETS ILLEGALLY MODIFIED CARS Daring dragsters in Cape Town will get their just rewards with severe new traffic legislation pending. Jail time, on the spot vehicle impoundment and even fines for spectators, are being mooted in this new traffic regulation planned for implementation before April this year. For locals in many suburbs of the city, illegal racing has become the bane of their existence for years now, while law enforcers struggle to curb the activity. Roads such as Klipfontein Road, Prince George Drive, Strandfontein Road, Old Paarl Road, the N1 and Sacks Circle, have become hotspots for such races, continuously endangering the lives of other motorists. Stricter penalties But this is all about to change says JP Smith, mayco member for the City’s safety and security portfolio. He explains: “Currently we are able to arrest motorists and suspend vehicles from the roads if they are found to be illegally modified or unroadworthy, but that does not stop the racers. The new provincial traffic regulations will allow us to impound vehicles and impose stricter penalties on drivers found guilty of this behaviour. “Something has got to give, because motorists are clearly not heeding our call to behave responsibly and, frankly, our existing penalties are clearly not a sufficient deterrent,” says Smith. “We are also calling for more stringent impoundment fees for these vehicles and want to ensure prison time for the offenders. The act of being a spectator at the races also needs to be included, with a suitable penalty imposed.” In upcoming meetings with provincial transport minister Donald Grant and the National Prosecuting Authority, Smith will raise certain significant cases with them, highlighting where the courts have failed to address this matter adequately and where repeat offenders have been let off too lightly. Smith says it is apparent from these cases that prosecutors and magistrates do not understand the gravity of the behaviour. “In the meantime, nothing will stop our officers from hitting the hotspots time after time and making life difficult for these lawbreakers,” he says. Clearing confusion Referring to an article in a Cape Town daily newspaper on Thursday, Smith set the record straight over incorrect assumptions made with regard to this regulation. In the article it was stated that the City boosted legislation that would empower it to impound all modified vehicles. This is not the case, Smith emphasised in a statement issued. “The city has no designs on legally modified vehicles,” he stated. “For the record, the City’s Traffic Service is mandated to enforce the provisions of the National Road Traffic Act - a national piece of legislation which states that any modification of or tampering with a vehicle’s safety design renders the vehicle unroadworthy unless it is done by the manufacturer or a registered body builder. “In addition to the National Road Traffic Act, the South African National Standard is extensively used by our motor vehicle examiners when conducting roadworthy checks on vehicles. This act is very specific on unroadworthy issues such as suspensions and springs, steering columns, vehicle headlights and fog lamps, tinting of windows, and brakes.” Smith says the City has no issue with motor vehicles that have been modified legally and in line with the legislation and standards, as outlined. “What we do have an issue with is the large number of vehicles that are modified illegally, rendering them unsafe,” he says. - TygerBurger tygerburger.co.za/221451/news-details/new-laws-to-hit-drag-racers-hard-only-targets-illegally-modified-cars
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 09:07:40 +0000