Thousands of driving licences could be deemed invalid if proposed new regulations for the National Road Traffic Act are passed.
New drivers will be under far stricter scrutiny to get their licences if the laws are passed. The regulations are seen as a move by the department to clamp down on road deaths.
Proposed changes include:
* New drivers will have to drive under a provisional licence for a year. These licences can be suspended for two years if the driver receives more than six traffic violations, or breaks the speed limit even once.
* Vehicle identification numbers must be fitted to vehicles on a metal plate, a self-adhesive tamper-proof metal or a plastic label, with threats of legal action for those who fail to comply;
* Cars that are 10 years or older will be required to have roadworthy tests every second year, unless they are classified as vintage cars;
* Drivers will no longer be able to re-register their cars if an insurance company has classified them as “written off”, and using any parts from the car in the construction of another car will be illegal; and
* Company drivers will have to keep log books to indicate how long they have been driving and may face legal consequences if caught driving for longer than five hours at a time without a half-hour break.
Also, drivers may be required to provide proof of residence, their ID number and birth date to any licensing authority. This will have to be done within 12 months of the law’s amendment. A failure to do so will result in the licence being declared invalid.
Cars and trucks registered to companies will also be under greater scrutiny, with driving time limits being implemented for drivers driving alone.
Professional drivers will no longer be allowed to drive for more than 15 hours within a space of 24 hours, and can be prevented by police from doing so until they have met the rest requirements.
Driving schools are set to be graded by the department, and if they do not make the cut, they will be prohibited from teaching new drivers. The driving schools can also be fined for training drivers of certain vehicle levels, such as trucks, if they have not yet been approved. Fines were not stipulated in the new regulations.
The acting chief director of Road Traffic Legislation, John Motsatsing, said the provisional licence system was set to teach new drivers the value of road safety, and that being conscious of road rules – under threat of having their licences taken away – would produce better drivers.
The new licence validation system was aimed at preventing drivers from claiming they had not received their licence renewal notices.
Motsatsing said there had been significant comment from the public on the changes but the opportunity for this had past. It would be about four to six weeks before the department had analysed the comments and decided on whether to implement, streamline or change the new regulations.
Automobile Association SA spokesman Gary Ronald said the AA supported many of the changes, such as the provisional licences and the log books to protect professional drivers.
But the ambiguity in several of the amendments appeared to seriously disadvantage some sectors. For example, the inability to use functional spare parts from a written-off vehicle could damage the used-car industry, and that it may become impossible to repair cars whose parts were no longer in production.
He said the department needed to clarify whether all drivers would need to validate their licences – as is implied now – or whether it was just those changing address.
He said several AA members had complained of the roadworthy certificate required every two years on older cars, some claiming it was little more than a money-making racket. Ronald said the AA supported the idea as it would enforce the regulations required for safe vehicles.
