Festive Season fatal crash report released

By Celeste Ganga
09 January 2008

On Tuesday Minister of Transport, Jeff Radebe released the festive season fatal crash results in Johannesburg.

“As part of the Arrive Alive and Operation Safer Festive Season campaigns, traffic authorities declared an all out offensive against lawlessness on our roads. The road safety initiatives continue to strive to change driver behaviour and to ensure order and discipline. Ultimately the objection is to reduce a number of crashes and the resultant factors,” says Radebe.

The total number of fatal crashes over the period 1 December to 6 January decreased by 36 (2, 64%) from 1363 in 2006/07 to 1327 in 2007/8.

“The biggest decreases were recorded in the Free State, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal,” says Radebe.

The Free State showed a decrease of 32, from 108 to 76; the Northern Cape by 7, from 42 to 35 and KwaZulu-Natal decreased by 37, from 277 to 240.

“The provinces that experienced an increase in the number of fatal crashes are Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Western Cape,” Radebe added.

Mpumulanga showed an increase of 32, from 113 to 145; Limpopo to 16, from 109 to 125 and the Western Cape in increased from 141 to 149, an increase of 8.

The number of fatalities decreased by 217 from 1636 in 2006/07 to 1419 in 2007/08…

The number of fatalities in the Northern Cape decreased by 33 from 63 to 30, whereas in Mpumalanga it increased by 46, from 138 to 184.

Driver fatalities decreased by 54 from 440 to 386. Passenger fatalities decreased by 56 from 545 to 489; and Pedestrian fatalities decreased by 107, from 651 to 544.

“Our Road Safety Strategy remains a key element in our drive to improve road safety and save thousands of fatal crashes. I am proud of some of our road safety measures that we took in the past that are bearing fruits and making a difference as far as road safety is concerned,” says Radebe.