Corruption and forensic negligence have had a massive impact on the safety of South African roads. Read on to discover how and why.

1. How Corruption and Forensic Negligence Affect Road Safety
South Africa has lost approximately R650 billion to corruption over the last two decades;
unlawful behaviour which has had a severe effect on road safety.
In South Africa, there are three main types of corruption which endanger countless lives on
the roads. These include:
 Bribery and traffic fines;
 Bribery and driver’s licenses;
 Bribery and second hand vehicles.
Bribery and Traffic Fines
Bribing a traffic officer in an effort to get out of a fine has unfortunately become relatively
common within South Africa, which means that there are very few repercussions for those
who choose to disobey the rules of the road. This results in an increase in negligent,
dangerous drivers who may feel “Why stick to the speed limit, or stop at a stop street, if
nothing bad is going to happen to me when I get caught committing a traffic infringement?”
Bribery and Driver’s Licenses
It is often reported that driver’s licence examiners are bribed in order to secure learner’s or
driver’s licenses. This means that people who should not necessarily be driving on the roads
(due to a lack of knowledge of the road rules or a lack of skill when it comes to operating a
motor vehicle) now have the legal go-ahead to do so. Needless to say, this puts the lives of
many in danger – including the bribe-paying driver himself.
Bribery and Second Hand Vehicles
Another threat to motorists’ safety is that of corrupt car dealers. It is not unusual for car
dealers to bribe testing facilities in order to get their hands on roadworthy certificates.
According to Arrive Alive, certificates of roadworthiness are issued without the said vehicles
undergoing the necessary roadworthy tests. Car sellers will also sometimes put testing
stations under pressure, saying that if they do not pass their vehicle then they will take the
business elsewhere. Along with this, if a vehicle fails a roadworthy test, the client often
takes the vehicle to another testing station where they know the test is less stringent. 1
Forensic Negligence
Something else that affects the safety of our roads is that of forensic negligence. Let us
investigate this further.
When drunk drivers are arrested, they have no choice but to submit to blood tests. Once
collected, these blood samples are sent to laboratories for testing and, depending on the

2. results of these tests, drunk drivers will be sentenced accordingly. Unfortunately, due to
ever-increasing forensic negligence when it comes to collecting these blood samples, storing
them (reliable storage facilities are few and far between, and load-shedding also poses a
few challenges. This combination often causes the spoiling of blood samples), and finally
testing them (there is currently an 18 month backlog), these blood results hardly ever lead
to serious consequences for the offenders. How does this affect road safety? People who
should be serving time for driving under the influence are ‘let off of the hook’, probably
continuing to get behind the wheel when intoxicated, and those who might have thought
twice about drinking and driving, don’t – because, even if they are caught, there are few, if
any, consequences for making such dangerous and selfish decisions.
It is, therefore, evident that corruption and forensic negligence severely affect the safety of
motorists on the roads of SA. It is because of this that car insurance is a must for every
vehicle owner, ensuring that you are covered in the event of an accident. Specialising in
affordable cover, MiWay is the insurance provider that every motorist can count on. Contact
us today.
Click here for tips on how to deal with a corrupt traffic officer.
Sources
1
https://www.arrivealive.co.za/Corruption-Traffic-Enforcement-and-Road-Safety