South African motorists are one step closer to a major change in the way traffic offences are handled, with the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Amendment Act officially coming into effect.
Although the Act was proclaimed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 1 July, one of its most significant features, the demerit points system, is still some time away from becoming a reality. The system is currently expected to be introduced during the fourth phase of the AARTO rollout in 2027, as reported by Business Tech.
Once implemented, it could have serious consequences for repeat offenders, including the suspension and eventual cancellation of driving licences.
Unlike the current system, which largely focuses on fines, AARTO aims to change driver behaviour by tracking repeated traffic violations through a points-based system.
Every licensed driver will begin with zero demerit points. As motorists commit traffic offences, they will receive between one and six points, depending on how serious the infringement is. The more offences committed, the more points accumulate against a driver’s record.
Importantly, Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) spokesperson Monde Mkalipi explained that drivers will only receive demerit points once liability for the offence has been established. This includes situations where a motorist admits guilt by paying a traffic fine.
Speaking to HOT Business, Mkalipi used running a red traffic light as an example, saying that offence would attract four demerit points.
‘The more infringements you commit on the road, the more demerit points are going to be allocated to you,’ he explained.
The critical limit under the new system is 15 demerit points.
Drivers who accumulate 16 points or more will have their driving licence suspended. The suspension period increases depending on how far they exceed the threshold, with every point above 15 resulting in an additional three months off the road.
For example, a driver who reaches 17 demerit points would face a six-month suspension, while someone accumulating 18 points would be suspended for nine months.
The consequences become even more severe for habitual offenders.
Motorists will only be allowed to have their licences suspended twice. If they exceed the 15-point threshold for a third time, their driving licence will be permanently cancelled.
At that stage, drivers won’t simply be able to wait for the suspension to end. Instead, they will need to complete a driver rehabilitation programme before they are allowed to apply for a new licence.
That means starting the entire licensing process again, including rewriting the learner’s test and passing another driving test before legally returning to the road.
‘On the third time that you go over and above the 15th demerit point, that’s when your driving licence is going to be disqualified,’ Mkalipi said.
‘Once you have successfully gone through a driver rehabilitation programme, only then will you be allowed to restart and get a new driving licence.’
While the demerit points system is still awaiting implementation, motorists have more than a year to familiarise themselves with how it will work. Road safety experts say the system is intended to encourage safer driving by placing greater accountability on individual road users rather than relying solely on financial penalties.
For now, drivers will continue under the existing traffic enforcement framework, but with the AARTO rollout progressing, the countdown has begun to one of the biggest changes to South Africa’s road traffic laws in decades.
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