The first question that comes to the mind of a motorist is ‘what is AARTO?’ It’s an acronym for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act system, and it will become active for every South African motorist from this month, July 2021.1
Let’s explore some of the organisations and how they are involved with the AARTO system.
What is the RTIA?1
‘RTIA’ is another acronym for ‘Road Traffic Infringement Agency.’ This agency’s legal function is to make judgements on and collect traffic fines. According to the RTIA, the Act permits the start of a demerit system.
Haven’t we heard about AARTO before?1
The AARTO Act has been proposed for implementation for more than 10 years, but specific issues have had to be first resolved. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula gazetted the AARTO regulations in October 2020.
What is the urgency behind the implementation of the AARTO system?1
The RTIA indicated that, on average, about 14 000 people die on South African roads every year. The system’s objective is to make motorists realise that it is no longer ‘driving as usual’, and that unless they pay heed, the AARTO system can seriously affect their right to drive. In this way, it is hoped that the death rate on South African roads can be effectively reduced.
Changing the South African motorist’s behaviour1
It is hoped that the Act will improve road safety in South Africa by further encouraging motorists to have a positive attitude regarding obeying all road safety laws.
How can the driver be convinced to change his ways? 1
A legal system is only as powerful as its enforcement. If no enforcement, the system will not be effective. Thus, offending motorists need to be prosecuted concerning national and provincial laws using the demerit system.
How does the demerit system work? 1
Every South African motorist starts off ‘clean’ having zero demerit points on their driving licence. Every time a motorist breaks the law, they collect some demerit points on their licence. If they collect 12 demerit points, their licence would be suspended for three months. This could be devastating, especially for those who solely rely on their driving to provide an income. If a licence has been suspended a total of three times, it will be cancelled.
The Automobile Association (AA) still has serious reservations about the AARTO system2
According to the AA, there is still considerable confusion regarding the AARTO implementation. For example, the one unanswered question is if South African motorists will be issued with AARTO infringement notices from 1 July onwards, or will they be issued with fines as they are done currently?
July 1 2021 sees the implementation of the first phase2
The Government announced that this phase involves setting up a registry to introduce the AARTO system. The entire implementation of the system consists of 5 phases.
The AARTO system is to be welcomed for restoring law and order on our South African roads. However, in the meantime, the carnage and accidents continue relentlessly. In this kind of scenario, you need to ensure your car is adequately covered. For more information on affordable car insurance products, contact PMD.
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This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
