Cape Town’s New Traffic By-law (What It Means)

[Teezoh]

If the new amendment passes, Cape Town will get much tougher on reckless driving and street racing.

The draft schedule shows Council approval by ~Feb 2026 if everything goes to plan. Not too far away.

Here’s what changes:

1. Cars can be impounded on the spot​

• Traffic officers will be able to take your car immediately if you’re caught in illegal street racing, drifting, or driving recklessly (like weaving through traffic or ignoring signals).
• No prior notice, they can tow it right there.

2. Getting your car back won’t be easy​

• You won’t just pay a fine and fetch your car.
• The car can stay impounded until you’ve been to court or until officials give formal approval.
• You’ll need proper paperwork (licence disc, registration, number plates, etc.) before release.

3. Spectators aren’t safe either​

• Even if you’re just watching or filming at an illegal race or event, your car can be impounded too.
• The City wants to cut out the “crowd factor” that fuels these events.

4. Big fines and costs​

• Apart from court penalties, you’ll face hefty impound release fees.
• Expect costs to run into thousands before you even touch your keys again.

5. Why this matters​

• The City says this is about saving lives: reckless racing and takeovers cause crashes, deaths, and block roads.
• Cape Town already has one of the strictest enforcement units (the Ghost Squad), and this law gives them more teeth.

Although all this is kind of welcomed by all the reckless trends going around lately I can see shit going South for cars "labelled" under these conditions. I'm sure the Ghost Squad will be morphing into level 200 boomers now.

As an example, if you attend a dyno day or anything like the Tunnel run in the future and some random oke whips it while you're close, they can impound any and all cars attending the event, this is where it becomes bullshit and this is going to happen since the Ghost Squad already shuts down normal and organised meets and runs as they please, holding up 20-30 cars for hours at a Petrol station on the N1 just because they can.

Thoughts on this?

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I get why they doing this but in reality interpretation of this is up to the cops on the road.

A laid back meet like you mention can and will be targeted by wanna be cowboys. Imaging the state your pride and joy will be in once you eventually get it from the pound and add to that insult you may not even have been hooning or street racing.

 

[Greenz]

Thank goodness I am an anti-social grump that prefers to stay at home and laugh at idiots on YouTube and instagram.

 

[Tinuva]

Sho, this part:

> driving recklessly (like weaving through traffic or ignoring signals).

Don't even need to attend an event.
Forget using a signal and get noticed, boom.
Change 2 lanes in short succession, boom.

Can definitely see this going further than intended.

 

[Teezoh]

Thank goodness I am an anti-social grump that prefers to stay at home and laugh at idiots on YouTube and instagram.

The problem here is, we've both been to some kind of gatherings where guys just randomly decide to warm up the rubber, like a dyno day where people just started spinning and this nice black ST just rolled past casually *wink wink*. This, in the future can get our cars (who did nothing besides join an event) impounded. Imagine that shit.

 

[YozTruly]

Cape Town is asking for trouble with some of these rules.

Impounding the cars of spectators is overstepping. They will need a very specific definition of a spectator and then will have to go about proving that one was a spectator to that exact definition.

E.g. Am I a spectator if I am at a red light and the car in-front of me does a donut or do I become one of I whip of my phone and film?

​

 

[Teezoh]

Sho, this part:

> driving recklessly (like weaving through traffic or ignoring signals).

Don't even need to attend an event.
Forget using a signal and get noticed, boom.
Change 2 lanes in short succession, boom.

Can definitely see this going further than intended.

This is another horrible factor, specifically here in Cape town.

I've seen it so often where people try to get by lane huggers in the right lane, driving a normal Polo or Swift and they just drive on, but this exact thing is done by a "sports or modified car" and they get pulled over by the unmarked GS just because their vehicles pass the checklist for looking like speeders or modified. As for the lane huggers, they get left alone.

This new by-law is way too harsh for them to actually abuse their power and impound people by a label.

Cape Town is asking for trouble with some of these rules.

Impounding the cars of spectators is overstepping. They will need a very specific definition of a spectator and then will have to go about proving that one was a spectator to that exact definition.

E.g. Am I a spectator if I am at a red light and the car in-front of me does a donut or do I become one of I whip of my phone and film?

​

If you are close you get thrown in with the crowd even with the current by-laws.

Illegal racing here normally happens near a gas station, when they hit it, every car not parked at the pumps gets pulled in, even the ones who just went by to get fuel, specifically if you don't drive an average daily car. Even the cars parked for a quick water and snack.

2 Weeks ago we drove out to the wild flower scenic drives with my mom, on the way we got stuck behind traffic building up with trucks, in front of me there was a Porsche and an M4, behind me my mom and then behind her another 3 series and an A45s, all 6 of us overtook the truck when we got to it and nothing was reckless. Not even a few kms further only 5 of us was pulled over, apparently driving in a "reckless convoy" and all of the labelled cars, my mom was left alone with her basic npc ride.. It took us 1 hour to prove to these bastards that we don't know any of the other cars except for my moms car, having to phone Cartrack to send me the dashcam videos of the past hour since I did not have my laptop with me to pull the video directly. With this new by-law should something like this happen again, we can't do shit if they decide they want to impound the cars, then you need to fight it in court, all while your car is wrecked and possibly stripped at the impound.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I see a show coming. You cant break the law trying to uphold it. This is still a democratic state. Doubt they will get far with it.

 

[YozTruly]

This is another horrible factor, specifically here in Cape town.

I've seen it so often where people try to get by lane huggers in the right lane, driving a normal Polo or Swift and they just drive on, but this exact thing is done by a "sports or modified car" and they get pulled over by the unmarked GS just because their vehicles pass the checklist for looking like speeders or modified. As for the lane huggers, they get left alone.

This new by-law is way too harsh for them to actually abuse their power and impound people by a label.

If you are close you get thrown in with the crowd even with the current by-laws.

Illegal racing here normally happens near a gas station, when they hit it, every car not parked at the pumps gets pulled in, even the ones who just went by to get fuel, specifically if you don't drive an average daily car. Even the cars parked for a quick water and snack.

2 Weeks ago we drove out to the wild flower scenic drives with my mom, on the way we got stuck behind traffic building up with trucks, in front of me there was a Porsche and an M4, behind me my mom and then behind her another 3 series and an A45s, all 6 of us overtook the truck when we got to it and nothing was reckless. Not even a few kms further only 5 of us was pulled over, apparently driving in a "reckless convoy" and all of the labelled cars, my mom was left alone with her basic npc ride.. It took us 1 hour to prove to these bastards that we don't know any of the other cars except for my moms car, having to phone Cartrack to send me the dashcam videos of the past hour since I did not have my laptop with me to pull the video directly. With this new by-law should something like this happen again, we can't do shit if they decide they want to impound the cars, then you need to fight it in court, all while your car is wrecked and possibly stripped at the impound.

Wow. That is a horrible experience. Glad you managed to get yourself untangled.

We now need dashcams to protect us from cops.

I can imagine the City of Cape Town will be sued to submission by guys in super cars. Imagine your expensive toy sitting at the impound for 3 years while you fight your case. No maintenance, no protection against the elements, etc. If the owner wins the case, they will likely sue for lost value of assets while in the possession of the City of Cape Town. One loss and the city will stop this nonsense.

 

[Teezoh]

Wow. That is a horrible experience. Glad you managed to get yourself untangled.

We now need dashcams to protect us from cops.

I can imagine the City of Cape Town will be sued to submission by guys in super cars. Imagine your expensive toy sitting at the impound for 3 years while you fight your case. No maintenance, no protection against the elements, etc. If the owner wins the case, they will likely sue for lost value of assets while in the possession of the City of Cape Town. One loss and the city will stop this nonsense.

Just on this topic, went digging around and also found this:

How long vehicles are kept before they can be disposed of​

• Under Cape Town’s Traffic By-law (2021) and the draft 2025 amendments, impounded vehicles are held for a minimum of 3 months.
• If the vehicle isn’t claimed, paid for, or the legal process isn’t resolved in that time, the City can declare it forfeited.
• Forfeited vehicles may then be auctioned, scrapped, or destroyed at the City’s discretion.
• The owner loses all rights to it at that point, no comeback once it’s lawfully disposed of.

City protection against lawsuits​

• The by-law (like Cape Town’s Filming By-law 2025 and existing traffic codes) typically includes liability disclaimers.
• That means:
  • The City is not liable for damage caused to impounded vehicles while in storage unless you can prove gross negligence or unlawful action.
  • They are shielded from most compensation claims, especially for ordinary wear/damage during impound or storage.
  • They are also protected against most costs of you suing them, unless a court finds the City acted unlawfully or outside its powers.

 

[Alex/M5]

I don't like spinning etc but I really think the DA should focus more on stopping taxi nonsense and pulling off the rust buckets that are not even remotely roadworthy. I get creating a disincentive to endangering the public but I also don't want a police state like Australia.

 

[evnmopwr]

If the new amendment passes, Cape Town will get much tougher on reckless driving and street racing.

The draft schedule shows Council approval by ~Feb 2026 if everything goes to plan. Not too far away.

Here’s what changes:

1. Cars can be impounded on the spot​

• Traffic officers will be able to take your car immediately if you’re caught in illegal street racing, drifting, or driving recklessly (like weaving through traffic or ignoring signals).
• No prior notice, they can tow it right there.

2. Getting your car back won’t be easy​

• You won’t just pay a fine and fetch your car.
• The car can stay impounded until you’ve been to court or until officials give formal approval.
• You’ll need proper paperwork (licence disc, registration, number plates, etc.) before release.

3. Spectators aren’t safe either​

• Even if you’re just watching or filming at an illegal race or event, your car can be impounded too.
• The City wants to cut out the “crowd factor” that fuels these events.

4. Big fines and costs​

• Apart from court penalties, you’ll face hefty impound release fees.
• Expect costs to run into thousands before you even touch your keys again.

5. Why this matters​

• The City says this is about saving lives: reckless racing and takeovers cause crashes, deaths, and block roads.
• Cape Town already has one of the strictest enforcement units (the Ghost Squad), and this law gives them more teeth.

Although all this is kind of welcomed by all the reckless trends going around lately I can see shit going South for cars "labelled" under these conditions. I'm sure the Ghost Squad will be morphing into level 200 boomers now.

As an example, if you attend a dyno day or anything like the Tunnel run in the future and some random oke whips it while you're close, they can impound any and all cars attending the event, this is where it becomes bullshit and this is going to happen since the Ghost Squad already shuts down normal and organised meets and runs as they please, holding up 20-30 cars for hours at a Petrol station on the N1 just because they can.

Thoughts on this?

They Should get the Impound Lots Sorted first.
i know tons of people whos cars were impounded and had battries missing, Wheels missing.
Sound Systems missing etc etc etc

Its chaos and will be MORE chaos