Cloned number plates & speed hacks: How criminals are turning SA roads into danger zones
Criminals are exploiting weak number plate regulations and tampering with truck speed limiters, putting innocent motorists at risk of fines, fraud, and fatal accidents.
702's Gugs Mhlungu spoke to resident motoring enthusiast, Warren Tucker.
Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.
"This number plate cloning issue is a big problem. It's been a big problem for a long time."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
Cloned number plates are a growing concern in South Africa, especially in Gauteng, with criminals using fraudulent plates to avoid detection while committing crimes.
Tucker believes the problem stems from the privatisation of number plate printing, which was once strictly controlled by government departments.
"...people are cloning plates left, right, and centre."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
He explains that today, it’s possible to get plates made without proper verification, leaving room for abuse.
"In the past, they would only print the number plate for you if you could verify that plate belonged to you. So you had to produce your ID, proof of ownership of the vehicle, and the licence disc of the vehicle. They would go online, check on the system to see that you are who you say you are, and they would print your number plate for you. Now that doesn't happen."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
If you're a victim of number plate cloning, you are unfortunately left to clean up the mess, often facing fines or being linked to crimes you had no part in, says Tucker.
He adds that the process involves opening cases with SAPS and the Metro Police, as well as contacting the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) with evidence.
"The onus is on you as the owner of the vehicle to prove that your car is being cloned, and the person that is racking up fines is not you."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
Tampering with truck speed limiters is another growing danger on our roads.
In South Africa, the law says a truck can only go 80 kilometres an hour.
"What we're starting to see is some unscrupulous truck owners, because the speed of the truck is governed electronically, they have systems where they can change the speed limit of the truck...they can get the truck to get up to 100, even 120."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
"The trucking companies are doing this to get the trucks to go faster, because a quicker turnaround means that there's an extra load that gets done, which means there's more money to be made..."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
Tucker warns that some trucking companies bypass the legal 80km/h limit to increase deliveries, a risk when trucks carry up to 60 tonnes of cargo.
"...after a specific speed, with that weight behind you pushing the truck, the brakes are not going to work."
- Warren Tucker, motoring enthusiast
He urges authorities to introduce stricter monitoring and consequences, noting that if a truck causes a fatal crash while speeding, you could be charged with culpable homicide.
Scroll up to listen to the full conversation