A total of 38 motorists were arrested for drunken driving and fines worth R64 000 issued in Macassar and Somerset West, Cape Town city officials said on Monday.

The drivers were caught at road blocks over the weekend where fines were issued, mainly for vehicle defects, the city's traffic services spokesperson Chief Inspector Merle Lourens said in a statement.

"We cannot sufficiently emphasise that driving a vehicle while intoxicated can have fatal consequences. For some it becomes a seemingly sobering experience only once they've been arrested, handcuffed and put into a holding cell for the night. This is much too late."