The City of Cape Town’s latest traffic statistics reveal a worrying rise in reckless driver behaviour, with motorists increasingly disregarding the rules of the road.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, the Traffic Service recorded more than 2,7 million offences, pointing to a continued culture of non-compliance despite consistent enforcement efforts.
Red-light violations on the rise
One of the most alarming increases was in motorists ignoring traffic signals. The Traffic Service recorded a 49% increase in drivers caught on camera running red lights.
“This behaviour is reckless and dangerous,” said Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith. “Ignore a red light and there is a chance you can cause a collision or hit a pedestrian.”
Other categories of driver behaviour also saw significant spikes:
- 30,3% increase in driving offences;
- 15,1% increase in overloading.
Speeding remains a major threat
Speeding continues to dominate the list of offences, with 1,84 million cases recorded over the year. According to Smith, “Road safety starts with the decisions made by road users. If you speed, there is a chance that you can lose control of your vehicle.”
The statistics reflect the ongoing challenge of reducing reckless driving habits that place both motorists and pedestrians at risk.
Arrests and impoundments
Traffic officers also made 2 272 arrests in the past financial year. Of these:
- 1 638 were for drunk driving (72%)
- 259 for reckless and negligent driving (11%)
- 375 for other offences, including murder, robbery, providing false information, and possession of stolen goods.
The cost of non-compliance
In addition, the Traffic Service impounded 12 224 vehicles – including minibus taxis, e-hailing cars, amaphela and buses – while 952 vehicles were towed away, representing a 61,4% increase compared to the previous year.
Smith noted that enforcement is often criticised as “targeting soft offences,” but argued that the statistics prove otherwise.
“Traffic enforcement is a highly contentious and emotive issue, and the biggest critics are often the biggest culprits,” he said. “Too many people are far too comfortable breaking the law, until they are held to account or until their actions cause harm.”
The City also introduced a vertical lift truck earlier this year to strengthen its towing operations. The vehicle has already been used nearly 50 times to remove cars parked illegally or obstructing traffic.
A call for accountability
Smith emphasised that while enforcement is essential, real change depends on the choices made by individual road users.
“Our enforcement services are doing the work, but we have limited resources,” he said. “Much of what we deal with is the result of a lack of personal accountability.”
The City continues to appeal to motorists to respect traffic laws, warning that every red light skipped, every overloaded vehicle, and every act of reckless driving increases the risk of injury or death on Cape Town’s roads.
