Cape Town – Traffic cops are on the hunt for a group of street racers who have started illegal drag racing on several Cape Flats roads during national curfew hours.
This week, videos of cars driving at extremely high speeds went viral on social media showing motorists dicing until one of their cars bursts into flames.
Several clips of the incident show a white BMW M4 racing another vehicle on Jakes Gerwel Drive.
The videos taken from the footbridges between Hanover Park and Athlone Industria capture crowds cheering as the two cars race towards Klipfontein Road.
People can then be seen running towards the BMW as flames and smoke spews from under it.
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith called the dicing “stupid” as it endangers other road users.
“They are taking advantage of the empty roads during the curfew but it is important to note that emergency workers and others may have permits to travel during curfew and this could put others in danger,” he says. ’’It is madness and stupid and we will catch them.”
He says hot-spot areas for dicing include Ottery and Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Helen Suzman Boulevard with roads like Strandfontein, Jakes Gerwel and Jan Smuts Drive being used.
He says during the initial hard lockdown, there was a temporary stop to the dicing but it has steadily picked up again.
“Operations in known hot spots take place at least two to three times a week.”
He says between April 2020 and June 2021, the City’s Ghost Squad and other units made 452 arrests which included 171 for driving under the influence, 227 for reckless and negligent driving and nine suspects for driving at excessive speeds.
monique.duval@inl.co.za