How Aarto's demerit points system could work - AA

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South Africa should have demerit system for driver's licences — AA

The Automobile Association of South Africa still supports a driver's licence points-demerit system for South Africa, despite the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) and its amendments being declared unconstitutional and unlawful.

The Pretoria High Court ruled this week that the original Act and amendment unlawfully intruded upon local and provincial governments' exclusive executive and legislative competence.
 

AARTO-Aware: The Long and Winding Road to Better Driving​

South African motorists have a bad rap for notoriously reckless and unsafe driving. The country has among the highest road fatality statistics in the world.

This is why the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) was written – to change the ways of bad drivers. It’s been partially trialled in Johannesburg and Tshwane for over a decade.

Once AARTO is rolled out nationally later this year, bad driving habits could cost drivers their licences.

Critics say it’s more about making money than road safety, but AARTO is meant to improve road safety and adjudicate infringements under an administrative system to alleviate pressure on an overburdened court system.

Carte Blanche investigates whether AARTO can finally make the roads safer.

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The issue with laws is they have to be enforced and actual offenders need to be held accountable.

Given there is complete disdain for the system and it's corruption, complete disregard for the law and bribery being the order of the day, no new law is going to effect change.

Enforcement of existing laws would, however.
 
No issue with a point system, issue with unequal enforcement and the points themselves.

2 points for speeding, only 6 for drunk driving. No mention of violations like overloading or reckless driving (too scared of the taxi bosses?) What about unroadworthy vehicles (hitting a nerve? Blow back from testing officials?). AA is right, no care for safety, just low hanging fruit to pocket.
 
All I want from all this is people that skip stop signs and red lights to a get drivers ban, because in the last 5 years, its not just Taxis anymore, its literally 80% of people I see during my +/- 100km commute a day.
It's not a yield, it's a Stop. Yellow Traffic light means, "Game on". just about no one uses turn signals anymore either, South Africans have effectively ruined the BMW joke.

The problem is, if drivers get banned for these fundamental infractions, who is going to catch them driving without a license?
 
I agree a demerit system would be good but how can it be implemented? It would be better to have a system where it's easier to get your license and then remove those who clearly can't drive or have no regard for the laws and rules than the current one that once you have it you're seen as a good driver with almost no chance it can be taken away. Such a system however would need better and fairer enforcement.
 
A forced insurance at least 3rd party insurance and the scrapping of the RAF no fault system.

Slap them with a higher fine for illegally driving. R5000 at least.

I like how some countries show your cell number on the windscreen if any accidents or damage to your car, or to warn you if you parked illegally.
 

South Africa should have demerit system laws enforced for driver’s licences — AA​

Click to expand...
FTFY
AARTO designed to extract more money from law abiding citizens.
Demerit system not going to fix/improve taxi driver lawlessness.
Not going to stop taxi overloading, unroadworthiness, speeding, overtaking in yellow lanes, etc.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the demerit system in principal...

But AARTO implements it as a method of revenue collection and making it practically impossible to easily challenge bollocks fines/infringements.
 
As with all the other silly laws it will be us driving fast to overtake, or picking up the cell phone who will be watched like hawks and penalized. The real dangerous and illegal drivers will just carry on, bribing officials to renew points or not take off points or just ignoring the whole thing anyway.
 
AARTO is not going to stop taxis driving dangerously, not going to stop unroadworthy cars from being used, not going to make the roads safer. And even if someone looses their license due to stupid points, SA does not have good enough public transport as an alternative. As for Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) is a money making scheme and have no business even offering an opinion so they can STFU
 
This is how Singapore does it.

R100 000-R500 000 to have the rights to buy a car to drive, yip thats just the rights to own a car. Seems pricey but it basically cuts out all those that cant afford and removes those junk cars on the road. In SA we can start it at R100 000k

Then your car has to kept in good condition and kept clean (yes washed), not covered in oil, etc. Sure accidents happen but the car must be kept clean not look like it hasnt been washed for 6 months to a year.

Cars should be less than 10 years old.

Each year you renew your license disc, you have to prove your car insurance, or you can buy car insurance upfront for the life of the vehicles ie 10 years. (Some do).

As for driving fines
Driving under influence. Upto 1 year in prison, or R110 000 fine, with 2 year suspended license. Yip they are very strict. They are also strict with driving while using a cellphone and parking on pedestrian crossings. You think our fines are pricy, try theirs. 1SGD=R11

www.asiaone.com

Traffic fines in Singapore (2021) - guide to LTA, URA, HDB, TP and ERP fines

When you own a car, traffic wardens are your worst enemy and roadblocks send shivers down your spine - after all, there's nothing worse than getting traffic fines in Singapore. As if it's not enough that the cost of your car and COE would be enough for you to retire in a neighbouring country...
www.asiaone.com www.asiaone.com

So yes AARTO is very lenient in every way. It should become more strict.
 
Corelli said:
This is how Singapore does it.

R100 000-R500 000 to have the rights to buy a car to drive, yip thats just the rights to own a car. Seems pricey but it basically cuts out all those that cant afford and removes those junk cars on the road. In SA we can start it at R100 000k

Then your car has to kept in good condition and kept clean (yes washed), not covered in oil, etc. Sure accidents happen but the car must be kept clean not look like it hasnt been washed for 6 months to a year.

Cars should be less than 10 years old.

Each year you renew your license disc, you have to prove your car insurance, or you can buy car insurance upfront for the life of the vehicles ie 10 years. (Some do).

As for driving fines
Driving under influence. Upto 1 year in prison, or R110 000 fine, with 2 year suspended license. Yip they are very strict. They are also strict with driving while using a cellphone and parking on pedestrian crossings. You think our fines are pricy, try theirs. 1SGD=R11

www.asiaone.com

Traffic fines in Singapore (2021) - guide to LTA, URA, HDB, TP and ERP fines

When you own a car, traffic wardens are your worst enemy and roadblocks send shivers down your spine - after all, there's nothing worse than getting traffic fines in Singapore. As if it's not enough that the cost of your car and COE would be enough for you to retire in a neighbouring country...
www.asiaone.com www.asiaone.com

So yes AARTO is very lenient in every way. It should become more strict.
Click to expand...
Beyond the license to own a vehicle part, please do post evidence for the rest of your stuff, you were asked previously and ignored it.
 
Swa said:
I agree a demerit system would be good but how can it be implemented? It would be better to have a system where it's easier to get your license and then remove those who clearly can't drive or have no regard for the laws and rules than the current one that once you have it you're seen as a good driver with almost no chance it can be taken away. Such a system however would need better and fairer enforcement.
Click to expand...
A good start would be that any truck and vehicle that transports the public must have a tracking system installed that monitors driver behavior. The driver's license must be inserted into a slot to operate the vehicle. Nationwide real-time monitoring. Traffic police could respond instantly in a targeted manner to drivers which drive dangerously, repeatedly drive above the speed limits. With some lead cells overloading could be stopped, etc.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Beyond the license to own a vehicle part, please do post evidence for the rest of your stuff, you were asked previously and ignored it.
Click to expand...

For which part specifically ? He did post a link.
 
ToxicBunny said:
His link lists fines...


The bollocks about a clean car, and the maximum age of a car would be a good start.
Click to expand...
Here's a discussion about the 10 years.
You don't have to scrap the car, just pay a fortune to keep it.

www.quora.com

What is the point of setting a 10 year ownership of cars in Singapore?

Answer (1 of 7): When I first arrived in 1989 - there was no COE - just a quaint system of paper day passes (pre-ERP era). I was absolutely livid when the COE system was invented. We,VW Beetle drivers, with these 25 year old cars - only had to pay 50% more annual road tax. Now we had this plus ...
www.quora.com www.quora.com

And how it works

Certificate of Entitlement - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

The clean car one I don't see yet.


You're welcome
 
My main problem with AARTO is the you're presumed guilty regardless part.

At least ostensibly with the current system, you have some chance to object.
I have had a good few fines where the car isn't even mine. I could probably do the stats, but I've had one legit fine over the years, and something like 70 or 80 that aren't my car.

Some ****er in another province has cloned my plate. The color of the car, make and model doesn't even match, but the muppets that allegedly are supposed to check the photos for validity don't, and I get issued a fine.

With the old system, its a pain, but still doable. With the new AARTO system, you're guilty.


I'm not playing that game.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Beyond the license to own a vehicle part, please do post evidence for the rest of your stuff, you were asked previously and ignored it.
Click to expand...
Under the Driver Improvement Points System (DIPS), there are several traffic offences in Singapore that can land you demerit points or even a composition fine. A composition fine refers to the exchange of monetary payment in order to avoid prosecution in the court of law.

In Singapore, traffic offense fines may be determined by the weight of your vehicle. Light vehicles are classified as having an unladen weight of 2500 kg and below, while vehicles that exceed that weight are classed as heavy vehicles.

On the plus side, being cautious on the roads has added benefits! Drivers who do not commit traffic offenses for three years in a row receive an additional 5% discount when renewing their car insurance at certain insurance companies, on top of their No-Claim Discount. So, it really does pay to be careful.

Here is a full list of all of these offences so that you can keep informed and stay safe on the roads:

0 Demerit points

Fine of $100 for light vehicles/$150 for heavy vehicles

  • Stopping in yellow box
  • Insufficient warning signals
  • Making an unauthorised U-turn
  • Vehicles with a 60km/hr vehicular speed limit failing to keep left
3 Demerit points

Fine of $150 for light vehicles/$200 for heavy vehicles

  • Carrying excess pillion/pillion not sitting astride
  • Riders failing to wear helmet/wears helmet insecurely
  • Disobeying traffic direction of a police officer, employee of authority, or a security officer regulating traffic
  • Conveying load not properly secured
  • Using tyres with ply or cord carcass exposed
  • Driver failing to wear a seatbelt or failing to ensure that all passengers wear a seatbelt
  • Driver failing to ensure that passengers below the height of 1.35m are properly secured by an approved child restraint or body-restraining seatbelt
  • Parking abreast of another vehicle
  • Parking within a pedestrian crossing
  • Stopping in a zebra crossing area
  • Parking within a Demerit Points No Parking Zone
  • Stopping within a Demerit Points No Stopping Zone
  • Driver failing to fill up every passenger seat in the driver’s cabin, or any additional cabin or enclosed space provided for the carriage of passengers or goods, before carrying any person on the floor of open deck goods vehicle
4 Demerit points

Fine of $150 for light vehicles/$200 for heavy vehicles

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by 1 to 20 km/hr
  • Failing to give way to oncoming traffic a controlled junction
  • Failing to give way at an uncontrolled junction, junction, or roundabout
  • Crossing double white lines or a road divider
  • Obstructing the flow of traffic
  • Forming up incorrectly when turning left or right
  • Failing to give way to emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigades or Police vehicles
  • Driving in a dangerous manner while carrying load
  • Stopping on the shoulder or verge of an expressway
  • Stopping or remaining at rest on the carriageway of an expressway
6 Demerit points

Fine of $200 for light vehicles/$250 for heavy vehicles

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by 21 to 30 km/hr
  • Exceeding the road speed limit by 21 to 30 km/hr
  • Driving on the shoulder of expressways
  • Failing to securely tie or attach goods to a goods vehicle to prevent the goods from falling off
  • Offences committed by motorists at a pedestrian crossing
  • Driving or riding against the flow of traffic as indicated by traffic signs
  • Carrying passengers on a motor vehicle or trailer in a dangerous manner
  • Reversing unnecessarily on expressways
  • Failing to obey the 1.1 metres height restriction for persons carried on open deck goods vehicle
  • Carrying passengers when the clear floor space of the open deck goods vehicle is insufficient
  • Careless driving
8 Demerit points

Fine of $300 for light vehicles/$400 for heavy vehicles

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by 31 to 40 km/hr
  • Exceeding the road speed limit by 31 to 40 km/hr
9 Demerit points

Fine of $300 for light vehicles/$400 for heavy vehicles

  • Carrying passengers on a goods vehicle in a dangerous manner
  • Driving without due care or reasonable consideration for other road users
12 Demerit points

Fine of $400 for light vehicles/$500 for heavy vehicles

  • Failing to conform to traffic light signals
12 Demerit points

1st offence: Fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment of up to 6 months or both

2nd offence: Fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months or both

  • Using mobile communication devices while driving
12 Demerit points

Prosecution in court

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by 41 to 50 km/hr or
  • Exceeding the road speed limit by 41 to 50 km/hr
18 Demerit points

Prosecution in court

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by 51 to 60 km/hr
  • Exceeding the road speed limit by 51 to 60 km/hr
24 Demerit points

Prosecution in court

  • Exceeding the vehicular speed limit by more than 60 km/hr
  • Exceeding the road speed limit by more than 60 km/hr Reckless or dangerous driving
Abiding By The Law On The Road

With these in mind, do be careful on the road! If you do commit an offense and incur demerit points, fret not. As long as you do not accumulate any additional demerit points for 12 months after your last offense, your demerit points will be waived.

(Related story: Roadsense: What To Do When A Traffic Police Officer Asks You To Pull Over)

Similarly, suspensions will be removed from your record as long as you do not commit any more offenses for 24 months after the suspension of your license. If you are suspended for 12 months or longer however, your license will be revoked and you will have to re-sit your theory and traffic police driving test if you want to get your license back.
 
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