Zero alcohol level: Why all drivers may soon need to abstain
Zero alcohol level could soon become South Africa’s driving rule, as government moves to tighten laws and tackle road deaths.
A zero alcohol level could soon become the rule for South African drivers, leaving no room for that supposedly harmless drink before the journey home.
At a recent Road Safety Practitioners’ Colloquium in Ekurhuleni, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says government is pursuing amendments to Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act.
WHY THE ZERO ALCOHOL LEVEL PUSH?
Statistics explain why government wants tougher action. More than 18 000 people were arrested for drunken driving between March and the end of August 2026.
Those arrests represented about one-third of all traffic arrests during that period. Meanwhile, South Africa recorded 6 457 road deaths between January and 23 August 2026.
The country recorded 11,418 road fatalities during 2025. That was 6.2% lower than the previous year, according to preliminary transport statistics.
Creecy wants road deaths cut by half by 2030, in line with the United Nations road safety target.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR DRIVERS?
The current law sets the general blood alcohol limit at 0.05g per 100ml. The breath limit is 0.24mg per 1 000ml. Professional drivers face lower limits.
The proposed zero alcohol level would reduce both limits to zero. That means drivers would need to avoid alcohol before taking the wheel.
The proposal is not new. Former Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced plans for a zero limit in 2020. The change did not proceed at that time.
Creecy says the latest amendments still require approval before Cabinet can consider them. Government aims to secure that concurrence by the end of 2026.
CAN ZERO ALCOHOL LEVEL CREATE NEW PROBLEMS?
Critics have questioned whether zero is the best answer. The Automobile Association has argued that enforcement remains central to changing driver behaviour.
It has also warned that some medicines and products can contain alcohol. Vanilla extract provides one example. A South African court record confirms that vanilla flavouring can contain measurable alcohol.
The concern is not that vanilla extract makes someone drunk. The issue is whether a strict test could detect tiny traces without indicating any impairment.
That debate does not change the safest message for motorists. If you plan to drive, skip the drink. South Africa’s roads have already claimed thousands of lives, and even falling statistics remain far too high.