16% increase in road deaths so far: Minister
Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, says the road death toll in the first 20 days of December was up 16% compared to the same period last year.
Addressing the media yesterday, she said that 845 people were killed in 684 crashes across the country. She says that human error was to blame for many of the accidents where drivers had overtaken on barrier lines and blind spots.
The spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation, Simon Zwane, says the Minister is very concerned.
"She is concerned that people are driving under the influence of alcohol. She is also concerned that there is an increase in the number of women who are involved in accidents either as drivers or passengers as well those being arrested in roadblocks for drunken driving," he said.
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Zwane also says that with two long-weekends looming, traffic chiefs have been summoned to provide their plans on how to curb the carnage on the roads.
"She has called on the traffic chiefs to look into what further action needs to be taken in order to contain the situation. So they have to give the minister a plan around what it is they are going to do to make sure the situation on our roads does not worsen from what it is," he said.