During the festive season, the nation witnessed a tragic toll on its roads, with 1,427 lives lost in accidents, as revealed by Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga while presenting the 2023/24 festive season road traffic statistics.
Minister Chikunga reported a 1.7% decrease compared to the previous festive season, where 1,452 individuals lost their lives on the country’s roads from December 1, 2022, to January 11, 2023.
Over the 42-day period spanning December 1, 2023, to January 11, 2024, more than 1,400 lives were tragically cut short on the country’s roads.
Minister Chikunga underscored that the leading cause of road accidents was still drunk driving, closely followed by reckless and negligent behaviour. While some provinces observed a decline in fatalities, others experienced alarming increases.
Breaking down the provincial fatalities, the Free State recorded a significant 27.4% decline, the Eastern Cape 21.5%, the Northern Cape 15.7%, Limpopo 8.4%, North West 2.1% decline, Gauteng faced a 7.6% increase, KwaZulu Natal a 4.2% increase, Mpumalanga a 9.7% increase, and the Western Cape a substantial 22.6% increase.
Fatal crashes were most prevalent during the first, third, and fourth weeks of December, with the peak between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Pedestrians accounted for 40% of the fatalities, with a significant number falling between the ages of 25 and 44.
Minister Chikunga expressed concern over the high number of pedestrian fatalities and emphasized the need for collective efforts to address the persistent challenges posed by drunk driving and enhance overall road safety.