TIME TO TAKE AARTO SERIOUSLY
How demerit system can quickly go wrong
If any company still has doubts about changing its drivers’ behaviour and preparing before the Aarto (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) Act is implemented, advanced driver training company MasterDrive says bad driving behaviour can go from bad to catastrophic in one day.
“A company driver is driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h speed zone and is subsequently caught by a fixed speed camera,” says MasterDrive MD Eugene Herbert.
“On the way back from his meeting, he drove the same speed in the same speed zone and received his second fine for the day. This will have even more serious consequences than currently.
“Right now, he will receive a hefty fine. Once Aarto is in full effect, each infringement will receive six demerit points.
“The driver would have earned 12 demerit points in one day. Assuming he had a perfect record before this, one more demerit would result in his licence being suspended for three months. Additionally, he can still expect a large fine as well.”
An example like this illustrates how dangerous it is for both employees and employers to not prepare for Aarto, Herbert warns.
“Within the space of a day, a driver’s livelihood and a productive member of the company’s fleet are both placed at serious risk. Without even considering the safety risks, no business can risk its workforce being incapacitated by the consequences of bad driving behaviour.”
There are still a few months left before Aarto is fully implemented and this example should motivate every business to prepare, says Herbert.
“While no business is eager to take on the extra admin or consider what would happen if their drivers could no longer legally be on the roads, it is a folly not to do so. If you have not already implemented a road safety culture, start encouraging this attitude now. If you have and there are drivers who still receive fines periodically, consider further remedial action.”
Aarto is due to be implemented in June. Transport minister Fikile Mbalula believes it will improve safety on the country’s roads, but Outa (the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse) and the AA have challenged the controversial bill, calling it an administratively complicated system primarily aimed at collecting revenue.