Johannesburg’s DUI Data Shows Why Road Safety Needs Year-Round Action
Transport Month may bring renewed attention to road safety each October, but three years of Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) data show why drinking and driving requires attention throughout the year.
Between January 2023 and December 2025, JMPD recorded 26,578 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol in Johannesburg. That works out to an average of roughly one recorded arrest every hour across the three-year period.
The figures come from a joint review of drinking-and-driving enforcement data by AWARE.org and JMPD. Looking across the full three-year period provides a broader picture of recorded DUI arrests and highlights patterns that may not be as clear when looking at individual years in isolation.
One of the most consistent patterns is the time of day. Between 18:00 and 23:59, recorded arrests accounted for 80% of all DUI arrests in 2023, rising to 84.7% in 2024 and 85.9% in 2025. The highest individual volumes were consistently recorded between 20:00 and 23:00.
For AWARE.org and JMPD, the pattern provides useful evidence for the ongoing planning of enforcement operations and public education, particularly around the times when recorded arrests are most concentrated.
It is important, however, to distinguish arrest activity from the overall prevalence of drinking and driving. Arrest figures reflect what enforcement detects and do not, on their own, measure the total number of people who drink and drive or establish whether drinking and driving or road harm has increased or decreased.
A Four-Year Partnership Focused On Road Safety
The three-year review forms part of the wider Drive Sober, Stay Alive initiative between AWARE.org and JMPD, which brings together law enforcement, public education and research to address drinking and driving in Johannesburg.
The partnership is now entering its fourth year, with AWARE.org and JMPD set to mark the milestone with an activation in Soweto on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.
Rather than simply marking the anniversary, the activation will showcase some of the practical work taking place through the partnership and bring together law enforcement, the alcohol industry and road-safety stakeholders around the shared goal of reducing alcohol-related road harm.
Media attending the activation will be able to see a demonstration of the JMPD roadblock simulator and tour the physical Alcohol Evidence Centre (AEC) at the Soweto AEC.
The programme will also include the formal handover of a signed partnership pledge by AWARE.org Chairman and Pillar Lead Sola Oke and AWARE.org CEO Mokebe Thulo, reaffirming the organisations' commitment to continuing their collaboration with JMPD. AWARE.org member companies will also make a road-safety handover, providing relevant collateral and equipment to support JMPD's ongoing road-safety efforts.
Why The Evening Pattern Matters
The consistent concentration of recorded DUI arrests during evening hours gives law enforcement and organisations working in prevention another piece of evidence to consider when planning interventions.
“An average of one arrest every hour for three years is a reminder that drinking and driving cannot be something we focus on only in Transport Month or the festive season,” says Mokebe Thulo, CEO of AWARE.org. “Our work with JMPD continues throughout the year, and the three-year review helps strengthen that work by giving us a clearer picture of where recorded arrests are most concentrated and where prevention and education can be better targeted.”
Transport Month places national attention on safe and reliable transport throughout October, but drinking and driving is not an October-only issue. The three-year data reinforces the focus on sustained enforcement, public education and prevention beyond the annual awareness period.
“Our officers are on Johannesburg’s roads every day and every night of the year,” says Xolani Fihla, spokesperson for JMPD. “The three-year data gives us a clearer picture of when recorded DUI arrests are most concentrated. This evidence can help inform our ongoing operations and how we work with partners on prevention and education throughout the year.”
Turning Evidence Into Prevention
For AWARE.org, the value of the data lies not only in counting arrests, but in understanding the patterns behind them. Better understanding can help inform more targeted interventions and public education around drinking and driving.
The partnership combines JMPD's operational experience and enforcement evidence with AWARE.org's work in alcohol harm reduction, prevention and behaviour change. Further findings from the three-year review are expected to be shared over the coming months, providing additional insight into the patterns behind recorded DUI arrests and what these findings may contribute to prevention, public education and enforcement planning.
For road users, the practical message is straightforward: if alcohol is going to be part of the occasion, the journey home should be planned before drinking begins.
“The decision about how you’re getting home should happen before the first drink,” concludes Thulo. “Planning ahead is one of the simplest ways we can reduce the risk of drinking and driving and make the right choice for ourselves and everyone else on the road.”
