Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, on Thursday, released mid-festive season road statistics, revealing Gauteng as the province with the highest number of fatalities.
Mid-festive season road statistics: Gauteng leads with most deaths recorded
Since 1 December 2024, 96 fatalities have been recorded from 90 crashes in Gauteng, contributing to a nationwide death toll of 512 lives lost.
Creecy reported that 439 fatal crashes have occurred so far this festive season, a 3.1% increase from the 426 crashes recorded during the same period in 2023.
Fatalities have risen by 2.6%, from 499 deaths last year to 512 deaths this year.
RelatedPosts
Provincial statistics
A breakdown of fatalities and crashes highlights Gauteng’s lead, followed by KwaZulu-Natal:
- Gauteng: 96 fatalities, 90 crashes
- KwaZulu-Natal: 77 fatalities, 71 crashes
- Western Cape: 74 fatalities, 61 crashes
- Eastern Cape: 54 fatalities, 47 crashes
- Free State: 52 fatalities, 33 crashes
- Mpumalanga: 44 fatalities, 41 crashes
- Limpopo: 58 fatalities, 47 crashes
- North West: 36 fatalities, 31 crashes
- Northern Cape: 21 fatalities, 18 crashes
Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable, accounting for 45.6% of deaths, followed by passengers (26.8%), drivers (26.7%), and cyclists (0.74%).
During the launch of the festive season road safety campaign at the start of the month, Creecy highlighted the economic burden of road crashes, which cost the economy R205 billion in 2023, equivalent to 2.74% of GDP.
This figure covers vehicle repairs, emergency services, and loss of productivity.
She reiterated the human toll:
“Every life lost is a family shattered, and we must act to reduce these numbers.”
Creecy announced a shift in enforcement strategy for the remainder of the festive season, focusing on high-risk areas like townships and suburbs. This includes visible patrols replacing traditional roadblocks and intensified action against drunk driving and reckless pedestrian behaviour.
Law enforcement has conducted 561 roadblocks, stopping over 575,000 vehicles and making 3063 arrests, including 941 for drunk driving.
