At least five people were declared dead in multi-vehicle crash on the N3. Images: Twitter/@TrafficSA and @Dotransport.
Transport Minister to release 2023 Easter road traffic statistics
Many accidents were reported over the long weekend. The Department of Transport will release the official Easter traffic stats on Friday.
At least five people were declared dead in multi-vehicle crash on the N3. Images: Twitter/@TrafficSA and @Dotransport.
Department of Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga will on Friday, 14 April 2023 release the Easter road traffic statistics at the Road Traffic
Management Corporation (RTMC) offices in Midrand, Gauteng.
EASTER TRAFFIC STATS TO BE RELEASED
According to the Department of Transport, Chikunga is also expected to give feedback on the Easter weekend road safety awareness campaign as a government programme that aimed at prioritising and promote safer road usage during the high peak period on South African roads.
In 2022, then Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula revealed that South Africa recorded less deaths on the roads on the Easter long weekend, compared to the previous year during the same period.
Mbalula said 162 people lost their lives on the country’s roads, which was lower than the 235 in 2021. This resulted from 134 fatal road crashes in the same year compared with 189 the previous year.
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“This Easter period was marked by incessant rainfall throughout the country and floods that ravaged homes, infrastructure and left many families devastated in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as parts of Eastern Cape. Churches with huge following such as the Zion Christian Church did not have their annual Easter pilgrimage in compliance with the Covid-19 restrictions,”: he said.
TWO PROVINCES RECORD INCREASES IN ROAD DEATHS
The Minister said the reduction in road fatalities in the 2022 Easter period was recorded in all but two provinces – the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
While Mpumalanga recorded a 27.8% increase from 18 road fatalities the previous year to 23 in 2022, the Western Cape saw a 30.8% hike from 26 fatalities in 2021 to 34 in 2022.
WATCH: Traffic violations during Easter weekend [Video]
Meanwhile KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest decline in road deaths – a 61.1% drop from 54 road deaths the previous year to 21 in 2022. This was followed by the Northern Cape, which saw a 57.1% decline from seven road fatalities the previous year to three in 2022
The Eastern Cape registered the lowest decline – 25.9% from 27 deaths the previous year to 20 in 2022.
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