Following the Joburg highway assault, there's only one option that will benefit justice, the rule of law and respect of human rights: Ban the general use of blue lights by the VIP Protection Services until the law is changed to define what constitutes an emergency.

In what is now called the Joburg highway assault, the South African public witnessed an extraordinary movie-like scene of police officers who are part of the security team protecting South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile going in heavy-handed on unidentified civilians and stomping on them.

The civilians were basically beaten up in public for all to see, perhaps to send a stern warning that the roads belong to the "blue light brigade", to show they have absolute priority in traffic to force you out of the way.

The term "blue light brigade" is used for the SAPS VIP Protection Services and could be used to refer to other road users who have exemptions under traffic regulations.

For many observers, these events have come to be the defining symbol of police regression into lawlessness and the propensity of "blue light police" on our roads to bully citizens with impunity.

The scene was extraordinary, given that one of the biggest killers on South African roads is undoubtedly arrogance and/or aggression.

The incident made international headlines in news media such as Al Jazeera and Fox News. The blue light brigades have now earned themselves the title of Road Bullies....