As the festive mood grips South Africans, law enforcement authorities in Gauteng have intensified their clampdown on speedsters, which resulted in a BMW driver being arrested for clocking 207km/h on the N1 freeway.

“The highest speed recorded was the 26-year-old driver of a silver BMW who was caught excessively speeding at 207km/h on the N1 freeway in Midrand on the 11th December 2021. The driver could not provide any reason for over-speeding nor show any signs of remorse for having endangered the lives of other road users,” said Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane.

“The driver was detained at Midrand SAPS.”

Maremane said the Gauteng Traffic Police’s high-speed unit had arrested at least 18 people for driving at excessive speeds on Gauteng roads.

He said the speedsters were arrested for “reckless and negligent” driving, during the high-speed operations conducted along Gauteng major routes.

“The speedsters were found driving their vehicles at a speed in excess of the prescribed maximum speed limit of 120km/h on a freeway,” said Maremane.

“The suspects ages ranged between 21 and 45. (They) were apprehended on Gauteng Freeways such as the N1 Pretoria to Polokwane, N14 Pretoria to Krugersdorp, N4 Pretoria to Mpumalanga, R21 Pretoria to Boksburg, and M1 between Pretoria and Johannesburg. Their speed ranged from 160km/h to over 200km/h.”

The 18 drivers were charged with reckless and negligent driving as well as exceeding the prescribed speed limit of 120km/h on a freeway.

They have appeared in in various magistrate’s courts in Pretoria and Johannesburg and have been released on bail ranging from R1 500 to R5 000.

“Excessive speeding is one of the major contributing factors towards fatal crashes. This kind of behaviour will never be tolerated on our roads. The Gauteng Traffic Police high-speed unit will be on high alert this festive season by continuously conducting patrol on Gauteng major routes to ensure that motorists adhere to the general speed limit,” said Maremane.

The Gauteng Traffic Police has urged motorists to exercise caution by adhering to the rules of the road and driving at the prescribed speed limits in order to save the lives of passengers and other road users.