Reckless and Negligent Driving, A Headache for the City

Reckless and negligent driving may result in damage to property but the degree may differ in form.

Negligent driving is a civil traffic offence, while reckless driving is criminal in nature.

“Negligent drivers are those drivers who fail to take reasonable care of other motorists and pedestrians while operating their vehicle. There is a lot of reported incidents where a driver got involved in an accident because he/she was eating breakfast or applying make-up while driving to work in the morning,” said Member of Mayoral Committee for Community Safety (MMC) Cllr Frans Mmoko.

He said, “Negligent drivers often do not see any wrong in their driving until they get involved in an accident. We would like to urge motorists to refrain from any activity that may distract their concentration while driving on the road. The City will not tolerate any form of driving that will put the lives of motorists in danger or cause damage to their property. We will enforce the law whenever such cases occur as this is our responsibility.”

 The MMC explained that reckless driving is an unlawful and dangerous form of driving that disregards the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

“Our approach is zero tolerance to cases of drunk driving, excessive speeding and skipping a red traffic light. We do not tolerate motorists who do not respect the rules of the road and deliberately put the lives of other motorists at risk,” said the MMC.

In addition he said, “We have arrested a large number of drivers who are found to be reckless in their driving and some have been issued with huge amounts of fines. These drivers are the most dangerous and concerning for the City. When we conduct our operations and encounter these drivers, we do not hesitate to put them behind the bars.”