Daily average of 32 road deaths reported as Transport Ministry releases mid-festive safety update

The Department of Transport has revealed that the average number of daily road fatalities in South Africa since the beginning of December stands at 32.

While this figure represents the lowest average in five years, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy maintains that the loss of life remains unacceptably high.

Minister Creecy joined transport and road safety officials in Somerset West on Friday to announce the Mid-Festive Season Preliminary Road Safety Report. During the briefing, she emphasised that despite a statistical decrease in fatalities, the frequency of road accidents remains a significant national concern.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
According to preliminary reports, the first half of December saw varying results across the provinces:

Western Cape: 66 people were killed in 55 crashes.

Gauteng: Recorded a 12% decrease in crashes; however, it remains the province with the highest death toll, reporting 105 fatalities from 95 accidents.

KwaZulu-Natal: 88 people died in 85 crashes.

"But the average road fatalities per day is still much too high,"Creecy stated. "We are looking at on average 32 fatalities every single day since the start of the festive season."

LEADING CAUSES OF FATALITIES
The report identified the top four types of fatal incidents currently occurring on South African roads:

Pedestrian-related accidents

Hit-and-runs

Single-vehicle overturns

Head-on collisions

The Minister and safety officials continue to urge motorists and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution as the festive season progresses into its busiest period.