Alcohol Limit
The legal alcohol limit is a frequently mis-remembered number — South Africa uses 0.05 (not the US 0.08), with a stricter 0.02 for professional drivers. Caveat: government has announced an intent to move to a zero-tolerance (0.00) limit, but as of 2026-06-28 that amendment is not in force and the 0.05 / 0.02 limits still apply. Grounded in National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 s65.
Plain-language rule
For ordinary drivers it is an offence to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05 g per 100 ml or more, or a breath concentration of 0.24 mg per 1 000 ml or more. Professional (PrDP) drivers face stricter limits: blood below 0.02 and breath below 0.10.
Legal basis: National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996, s65(2) blood & s65(5) breath
Exceptions
- Professional drivers are held to the lower 0.02 g/100 ml blood limit
- Occupying the driver’s seat with the engine running can itself be an offence
Question patterns
- Numeric recall (limits, distances, ages) where applicable.
- “What must you do in situation X?” — required response.
- Distractor trap: Quoting the US 0.08 limit, assuming ‘two drinks is fine’, or thinking the limit is the same for professional drivers.
Penalty / consequence
Criminal offence: up to 6 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine, plus licence suspension (first offence minimum 6 months) and a criminal record.
Ontology Alcohol Limit [part-of] Rules of the Road
Connections
- Rules of the Road — part_of_topic, source: 2026-06-28
- National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 — derived_from_source, source: 2026-06-28