Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says alcohol remains the biggest contributor to road crashes.
She joined traffic officials in manning a roadblock at the Mariannhill Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal.
Traffic authorities say a large number of vehicles have started to leave the province.
This as travellers make their way home from various destinations at the end of the Easter long weekend.
Chikunga says motorists become negligent when they are drunk.
“There’s quite a number of them who are drinking and driving in residential areas. We saw it so, we thought that since this is the Easter weekend and end of the month that means that people have got money, they got paid, they will buy alcohol and travel and then they will drive, that will increase the number of accidents. ”
Easter traffic I Transport Minister engages motorists at Mariannhill toll
Meanwhile, the Border Management Authority (BMA) says it has completed the first phase of its Easter weekend operations, which is the exit leg.
The Easter holidays often keep the BMA very busy, as thousands of people travel in and out of the country and across provinces for the long weekend.
BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato says they have successfully processed all the travellers exiting South Africa.
