Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced the preliminary road-accident statistics for the 2024/25 festive season on Monday, 20 January, in Pretoria, and it is clear that the government is losing the fight against poor driving. Local residents will agree that adherence to traffic rules and regulations has become almost non-existent, with little or no traffic law enforcement taking place.
Limpopo's death toll over the festive period is testimony to this, with 180 people losing their lives in 140 fatal accidents between 1 December and mid-January, coinciding with the reopening of schools. This placed Limpopo fourth on the list of provinces with the most fatalities. In first place was KwaZulu-Natal, with 304 fatalities from 247 fatal crashes, followed by Gauteng with 235 fatalities from 224 fatal crashes. The Eastern Cape was third, with 231 fatalities from 168 fatal crashes.
The province with the lowest number of road fatalities was the Northern Cape, with 63 fatalities from 45 fatal crashes. North West recorded the second-lowest number of fatalities (100 fatalities from 87 fatal crashes), followed by the Free State with 106 fatalities from 81 fatal crashes. The Western Cape recorded 140 fatalities from 124 fatal crashes, while Mpumalanga had 143 fatalities from 118 fatal crashes.
In total, the country's roads claimed 1,502 lives in 1,234 fatal crashes. Minister Creecy described this as an absolute tragedy. The festive season is meant for joy and celebration. "I want to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones during this period, and our well wishes to all those who are still recuperating in hospitals as well as at home," said Creecy.
Creecy stated that it had become evident that motorists were choosing to ignore traffic rules, despite the government's best efforts to create greater road-safety awareness. This sad state of affairs is witnessed daily on local roads. "It is a miracle how some drivers make it home each night, judging by the way they drive," remarked one irate resident during a recent visit to the newspaper.
"The number of fatalities represents a year-on-year increase of 5.3% (70) compared to the 2023/24 festive season, with a 4.2% (50) increase in the number of crashes. This is most regrettable, especially as it reverses the incremental progress made in recent years," said Creecy.
Limpopo was one of five provinces to record an increased number of fatalities and fatal accidents. The other provinces were KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Free State, the Northern Cape, and North West.
"It is notable that there were 18 major crashes resulting in 134 fatalities, while minibuses were involved in 53% of major crashes," said Creecy. In most cases, driver error was the cause of the fatalities. "All the more disturbing, then, is the fact that most crashes and deaths are a result of human factors. To be precise, 87% of crashes happened because of human behaviour, including hit-and-runs, jay-walking, fatigue, loss of control over vehicles, speeding, drink-driving, and reckless overtaking," she said.
Creecy's message to South Africans was clear: "I want to say this very clearly, loud and clear for all of us to hear: We, South Africans, must change our behaviour on the roads," said Creecy. It remains to be seen, however, if local motorists and law-enforcement agencies will heed the call.
"The statistics clearly send all of us, as South Africans, one message: Drivers and pedestrians must change their behaviour. We must obey the law; we must obey the basic rules of the road," said Creecy.