The RTMC says it will be calling for a number of changes to driving laws, including the revision of the k53 as one of the measures to minimise road deaths.

JOHANNESBURG - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) says it will be calling for a number of changes to driving laws, including the revision of the k53 as one of the measures to minimise road deaths.

This is after Transport Minister Blade Nzimande announced that 767 people had lost their lives on the country’s roads in the first 18 days of December.

The RTMC says about 17,000 officers have been deployed on the country's roads this festive season.

The RTMC says it has found that the k53 is no longer relevant for South African drivers.

“The K53 has not been revised since it was introduced in South Africa, and a lot has happened. Even the technology used in vehicles is far more advanced,” says RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane.

He says they have also seen flaws in the way driving schools operate: “Driving schools need to have qualified instructors, it shouldn’t be anybody with a license. So, there should be a course for driving school instructors.”

Some of the changes the RTMC is looking to make include the retesting of drivers every five years when they renew their licenses, and novice drivers to be accompanied experienced drivers for the first six months behind the wheel.

[LISTEN] RTMC mulls rewriting road rules to curb road accidents