Pretoria - The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has, in recent days, arrested 10 road users for travelling at excessive speeds.
Top of the offenders' list is a BMW motorbike rider who was arrested while travelling at the whooping speed of 237km/h in a 120km/h zone.
Awed social media users were left wondering how traffic police managed to catch a driver travelling at such a high speed. Twitter users left questions for the JMPD on how the daredevil biker was eventually stopped.
Speaking to IOL, JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the operation of stopping a speedster on the freeways is a complex process which involves police officers stationed at different points communicating over radios.
10x motorists arrested for speeding by #JMPD High Speed officers. The highest speed was a BMW motorbike rider that was travelling at a speed of 237km/h on a 120km zone.
All suspects were detained at Diepsloot Saps. #JoburgRoadSafety#SaferJoburg#ManjeNamhlanje pic.twitter.com/mAkBwNb30P
“Our high-speed team operates in a manner where we will have a camera operator who was manning the speed camera. That officer will be stationed a few kilometres away from the other officers who are waiting for the speeding motorist, so when the speeding motorist, and in this case, a biker, goes past the speed limit is picked up by the camera operator he/she then radios the officers stationed a few kilometres away to inform them that there's this certain vehicle that's coming which has clocked a certain speed,” said Fihla.
“The officers ahead will then block off the road to stop that motorist, and in this case, the biker.”
The JMPD said speeding, just like driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless and negligent driving, is one of the major causes of serious and fatal accidents that have been observed in and around Joburg.
“So, in our efforts to ensure that the roads are safe and that road fatalities are reduced, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department has been conducting speed operations within the City of Johannesburg,” he said.
“In the past weekend, a total of 10 motorists were arrested for speeding by the JMPD high-speed unit in the Diepsloot policing precinct. The highest speed recorded was from the BMW motorbike rider that was travelling at a speed of 237km/h in a 120km/h zone. All ten motorists were detained at Diepsloot SAPS.”
The JMPD has once again pleaded with road users to respect the rules of the road.
“We urge motorists to hear and obey the rules of the road at all times to avoid being issued a fine, being arrested, or sustaining serious or fatal injuries due to an accident that could have been avoided,” said Fihla.
IOL