The South African government may introduce a strict zero blood alcohol limit for drivers as part of intensified efforts to combat drunk driving. This decision comes against a backdrop of thousands of arrests and over six thousand road deaths this year.
Transport Minister Barbara Crisi stated that the government is working on amending Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act and plans to seek Cabinet approval by the end of 2026.
This step follows the detention of over 18,000 people for drunk driving between March and the end of August, accounting for about a third of all traffic arrests during that period.
Speaking at a Road Safety Specialist Colloquium in eKhuruleni this week, Crisi emphasized that South Africa can no longer deem the scale of tragedies on its roads acceptable. She noted that the country cannot normalize nearly 12,000 annual road fatalities.
The government has set a goal to halve road deaths by 2030, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Latest data shows that from January 1st to August 23rd, 6,457 people died on South African roads, representing a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year.
However, the burden of fatalities remains particularly heavy in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, which together accounted for more than a third of all road traffic accidents in the first eight months of the year. Meanwhile, the Western Cape continues to record a significant number of intoxicated drivers, indicating that alcohol-related fatalities remain a national issue.
Crisi reported that the country has made progress: in 2025, the number of road accidents and deaths decreased by more than 6% compared to 2024. Furthermore, the 2025/26 holiday season also recorded a 5% reduction in accidents and deaths.
During the long Easter weekend, the Road Traffic Management Corporation registered the second-lowest number of accidents and deaths in four years. Compared to the 2024 peak, the number of accidents dropped by 24%, and deaths by 39%.
Nevertheless, Crisi warned that these improvements should not lead to complacency. She stated: 'While these statistics are commendable, the figures remain too high, and every lost life means the loss of a loved one, a parent, and a provider.'
Consequently, the government needs to intensify existing intervention measures, including increased enforcement in entertainment venues and on highways, where intoxicated pedestrians are also at risk. She clarified that the proposed zero-alcohol law is part of a broader initiative involving road services, public organizations, civil society, and SAPS.
'Therefore, we need to build up and strengthen our existing efforts to continue seeing a decline in these figures.'
The Motor Industry Sector Association (MISA) also supported the amendments proposed by Crisi to the National Road Traffic Act, which call for the introduction of a strict zero blood alcohol percentage for drivers. MISA believes that the proposed amendment to Section 65 is a critical step in combating the road fatality crisis in South Africa.
MISA asserts that approximately 12,000 people die on South African roads annually, and the Road Traffic Management Corporation estimates that alcohol contributes to at least 27% of road traffic accidents. MISA's Executive Director for Operations, Martle Cater, stated that a zero-alcohol policy will send a clear signal to drivers.
Cater noted: 'A zero-alcohol policy will send a clear message that no amount of alcohol is safe while driving.' He added that the organization supports Crisi's efforts to reduce preventable road deaths in the country. MISA stated that Crisi informed organized labor about this proposal for the first time in March during her address at the Annual Organized Labour School of the National Council for Economic Development and Labour.