Cape Town cops arrest 68 drunk drivers

Cape Town's safety and security directorate has had its hands full over the festive season battling fires and controlling badly behaved motorists.

From December 18 to 24, the city's law enforcement agencies made 403 arrests and recorded 65,765 transgressions which included 34,320 speeding offences. Cape Town traffic services issued 24,333 fines for various traffic violations, impounded 225 vehicles and arrested 69 motorists — 68 for driving under the influence and one for reckless and negligent driving.

The public emergency communication centre recorded 3,409 incidents over the long weekend to Boxing Day. This included 477 fires, 344 noise complaints, 287 assaults, 122 domestic violence incidents, 60 motor vehicle accidents, 29 incidents of self-harm and 25 accidents involving pedestrians.

On Thursday, as traffic volumes started to increase with holidaymakers returning home, the Road Traffic Management Corporation reported more than 1,738 vehicles have been discontinued and 3,340 impounded nationally since December 1.

More than 4,160 motorists have been arrested, mostly for drunk driving, while others were detained for producing false documents and driving public transport contrary to operating permits.