Safely Home Interventions Yield a Significant Drop in Number of Arrests | SafelyHome

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Safely Home Interventions Yield a Significant Drop in Number of Arrests / 16 May 2012

Robin Carlisle, the Minister of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape, has announced a 65% reduction in the number of arrests on the 71.6km Average Speed Over Distance (ASOD) stretch, on the Aberdeen road near Beaufort West.

‘Most importantly, there has been only one fatal crash on the ASOD stretch since its launch on 31 October last year,’ Minister Carlisle said.

The project is believed to be the longest of its kind anywhere in the world.

‘Twelve motorists in Light Motor Vehicles were arrested and jailed for excessive speeding in November and December last year,’ Minister Robin Carlisle said.

‘As expected it took a few months for word of the ASOD network to spread, after which there was a noticeable drop in arrests, leading to a monthly average of just two arrests in January, February, March and April this year.

‘The highest speed recorded in the first half-year of operation was in February this year, when a motorist was recorded doing an average of 192km/h over the 71.6km stretch. The driver went straight to jail and did not pass go,’ said Carlisle.

Minister Carlisle said the province was already beginning to reap the benefits “in lives saved” and was vindicated in its plan to roll out ASOD to other parts of the N1 by an approach from the Eastern Cape Department of Transport.

‘Our Safely Home team was approached by officials wanting advice on how to roll out ASOD on the Eastern Cape section of the Aberdeen Road, where two fatal crashes, involving a bakkie and a bus, have occurred in recent weeks,’ Carlisle said. 

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