SEE provincial stats: Festive Season road fatalities decrease by 4.3 percent

The Minister of Transport, Ms. Sindisiwe Chikunga and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) have released provisional festive season road statistics and provided a mid-term update on the country’s road safety awareness campaign on Friday, 22 December.

MINISTER CHIKUNGA DISCUSSES LATEST FESTIVE SEASON ROAD STATS

According to Minister Chikunga, crashes have decreased by 0.8 percent compared to the same period last year, leading to a 4.3 per cent decline in fatalities.

In total, 719 fatalities have been recorded in the first three weeks of the 2023/24 festive season compared to 751 in the same period last year.

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DEPT OF TRANSPORT DISSECTS ROAD FATALITIES

The provincial breakdown of fatalities is as follows:

• Gauteng has recorded 187 fatalities which is a 23.8 percent increase compared to last year.
• KwaZulu Natal has recorded 135 fatalities which is 6.3 percent decrease compared to last year.
• Limpopo has recorded 88 fatalities which is the same as the previous year.
• Mpumalanga has recorded 81 fatalities which is a 6.6 percent increase compared to last year.
• Western Cape has recorded 76 fatalities which is 1.3 percent decrease compared to last year.
• Eastern Cape has recorded 59 fatalities which is 41.0 percent decrease compared to last year.
• Free State has recorded 49 fatalities which is 7.0 percent decrease compared to last year.
• North West has recorded 37 fatalities which is 17.8 percent decrease compared to last year.
• Northern Cape has recorded 16 fatalities which is 49.7 percent decrease compared to last year.

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WHY THE RELEASE OF THE STATS IS CRUCIAL?

According to RTMC, the release of provisional festive season statistics by the Minister is a crucial step in assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of road safety measures during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

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Furthermore, these statistics offer an early insight into the impact of the country’s road safety awareness campaign and help identify trends and areas needing immediate attention.

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