SA records 142% increase in road crashes

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says there has been an increase of road crashes by 142%.

Mbalula has been speaking at the R80 Soshanguve/ Mabopane highway, north of Pretoria where he was releasing preliminary Festive Season fatalities statistics.

He says there were 17 fatal road crashes this year compared to seven last year.

“Year on year, the number of fatalities has marginally declined by 3.1% from 848 in 2020 to 822 this year. We are seriously concerned about the high number of crashes where five or more people perish in a single accident. We have seen a 142% spike in crashes with multiple fatalities resulting in 17 such crashes so far this year compared to seven last year over the same period.”

Provincial stats

In his Twitter feed, Mbalula reported on fatalities per province.

He says stats show that fatalities increased in five provinces with exception of the Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

The Eastern Cape recorded the highest decline of 30,7% in fatalities from 127 fatalities in 2021, to 88 so far this year.

Other provinces, including Free State, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal recorded the following:

Stats show that fatalities increased in five provinces with exception of the Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

EC recorded the highest decline of 30,7% in fatalities from 127 fatalities in 2021 to 88 so far this year.

Other Provinces recorded the following: pic.twitter.com/GQEsp7oQQp

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) December 22, 2021

Mbalula says the highest increases have been recorded in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West:

The highest increases have been recorded in the following Provinces:

• Northern Cape recorded an increase of 60.0% from 20 fatalities in 2020 to 32 over the same period;

• Western Cape recorded an increase of 49,3% from 71 fatalities in 2020 to 106 over the same period.; pic.twitter.com/mghEFVGAVe

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) December 22, 2021

Traffic violations

Mbalula further says there’s an increase in traffic violations as more people travel to their holiday destinations.

Mbalula says that they are seeing more incidents of drunken driving, speeding as well as negligent driving.

“A total of 710 970 vehicles were stopped and checked during the first half of the festive season campaign with the intention to remove unroadworthy vehicles from our roads. A total of 1 561 vehicles were discontinued, 1 820 impounded and 2 639 drivers were arrested for various offences, ranging from drunken driving to excessive speeding, and operating vehicles without a driving license,” adds Mbalula.