Cape Town sees sharp rise in driving offences

The City of Cape Town Traffic Services reported a 30.3% increase in driving offences between June 2024 and July 2025.

Traffic officers recorded 2.7 million transgressions during the past financial year, raising concerns about the wide range of contraventions committed by motorists on Cape Town roads.

These include:

• 1.84 million speeding offences committed by motorists.
• A 49% increase in motorists driving through red lights.
• A 15.1% hike in motorists overloading their vehicles.
• That 1638 motorists were drunk yet driving.
• That 259 motorists were negligent on the roads and driving recklessly.

Other driving offences by road users

In the past financial year, the traffic services in the province impounded 12,224 vehicles. Among these were minibus taxis, e-hailing cars, and buses.

Statistics show that 952 vehicles were towed away, a 61.4% increase from the previous financial year.

According to traffic legislation, vehicles may be towed and impounded if they flout the following rules:

• If vehicles are parked illegally.
• If vehicles obstruct the safe passage of other road users.
• If vehicles are parked on roads, they obstruct traffic and pose a danger to other road users.
• If vehicles are left at metered parking spaces after the timelines have expired.
• If vehicles are parked at public garages for more than seven days.

JP Smith, a City of Cape Town member of mayoral committee, said road safety began with the decisions taken by road users.

“ If you speed, there is a chance that you can lose control of your vehicle. An overloaded vehicle or not wearing seatbelts puts occupants at risk. Ignore a red light and there is a chance you can cause a collision or hit a pedestrian,” said Smith.

Smith expressed his concern over road users seemingly “comfortable breaking  the law”. He believed it was important that those flouting the rules of the road be held accountable.