Reckless, negligent and distracted driving — 31 AARTO offence codes

Charges for reckless, negligent, inconsiderate or distracted driving, including handheld phone use. Browse 30 infringements and 1 offence in this AARTO Schedule 3 category, each with its demerit point value.

Demerit point values are taken from Schedule 3, column 6 of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Regulations, 2026 (GN R.7646, Government Gazette 54922). This is an unofficial summary for convenience; verify any code against the official gazette. Demerit enforcement under Act sections 24–28 is not live as of August 2026 — updates & sources →

What this category covers

This hub lists 31 Schedule 3 charges grouped as reckless, negligent and distracted driving. Point values in this set range from 0 to 6 demerit points. 1 of them carry 4 or more points — enough that a few final charges can approach the 15-point disqualification threshold.

Use the table below to open any code page, or add charges in the calculator to estimate a running total. Related guides: common high-point offences, fines vs demerit points, licence suspension.

31 offence codes in the Reckless, negligent and distracted driving category
Code	Wording	Type	Points
`3601`	Vehicle transported dangerous goods but not in accordance with Chap VIII of Act	infringement	0
`3602`	Road tanker carrying dangerous goods not equipped with fire extinguisher	infringement	0
`3603`	Transported dangerous goods whilst displaying inaccurate placarding and /or kept inaccurate documentation of goods carried	infringement	0
`3611`	Vehicle transporting dangerous goods not fitted with placards at the sides, at the rear and visible from the roadside	infringement	0
`3614`	Vehicle transporting dangerous goods not fitted with danger warning diamonds and placards. SANS 0231 / SANS 0232-1	infringement	0
`3616`	Vehicle fitted with placard that did not contain the correct information about dangerous goods carried	infringement	0
`3619`	Transporting dangerous goods, carrying warning placards that were not clean, undamaged and visible	infringement	0
`3621`	Vehicle carrying dangerous goods failed to stop in pre-planned safe area	infringement	0
`3626`	Vehicle carrying dangerous goods did not mount a space for documentation in the cab	infringement	0
`3628`	Road tanker carrying dangerous goods not equipped with manufacturer's data plate	infringement	0
`3629`	Failed to comply with specifications of Reg. 273A as far as the transportation of dangerous goods is concerned	infringement	0
`3631`	Failed to nominate a qualified person to oversee transportation of dangerous goods. Reg. 273A	infringement	0
`3638`	Transport emergency card was not in correct format or did not contain correct information about dangerous goods	infringement	0
`3640`	Transport emergency card did not contain correct information about dangerous goods	infringement	0
`3641`	Vehicle transporting dangerous goods failed to have transport emergency card	infringement	0
`3646`	Transported a dangerous commodity without compliance markings	infringement	0
`4301`	Dangerous Goods vehicle driver failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by not using a road set aside for dangerous goods vehicles only	infringement	0
`4302`	Driver failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by using a road set aside for dangerous goods vehicles only. Non-RWC	infringement	0
`4303`	Driver failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by using a road set aside for dangerous goods vehicles only. RWC	infringement	0
`4349`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by proceeding beyond a point and sounding a hooter or emitting excessive noise when prohibited to do so by the sign. Non-RWC	infringement	0
`4350`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by proceeding beyond a point and sounding a hooter or emitting excessive noise when prohibited to do so by the sign. RWC	infringement	0
`4386`	Dangerous goods vehicle driver failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by proceeding beyond a sign prohibiting dangerous goods vehicles	infringement	0
`4421`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by using a road reserved for dangerous goods vehicles. Non-RWC	infringement	0
`4422`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by using a road reserved for dangerous goods vehicles. RWC	infringement	0
`4513`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by parking in an area reserved for dangerous goods vehicles. Non-RWC	infringement	0
`4514`	Failed to comply with the directions conveyed by a road traffic sign by parking in an area reserved for dangerous goods vehicles. RWC	infringement	0
`5085`	Operated a vehicle while a cellular or mobile telephone was held in one or both hands or with any other part of the body	infringement	3
`5086`	Used a cellular or mobile telephone or any other communication device that was not affixed to the vehicle or was not part of the fixture in the vehicle	infringement	3
`5600`	Operated a vehicle recklessly	offence	6
`5601`	Operated a vehicle negligently	infringement	2
`7020`	Contravened section 37(4) by transporting dangerous substances on a route other than a route so designated and indicated in an integrated transport plan, where such a route has been determined and published	infringement	0

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