162 killed on SA roads over Easter weekend - Mbalula
A total of 162 people died on the country’s roads over the recent Easter holidays, the Department of Transport revealed on Thursday.
This is markedly lower than the 235 fatalities recorded during the same period last year.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the statistics at the Grasmere toll plaza on Thursday, saying says most of the crashes occurred on Friday and Saturday.
“Our analysis shows that while the trend of fatalities per time of the day continues to show that most fatalities occur at night. A new phenomenon was noted this Easter with fatalities showing a sharp spike in the early hours of the morning between 4 and 5am.
“This includes the bus crash that occurred on the N1 near Leu Gamka on Good Friday.”
All provinces recorded a decline in fatalities, except for the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
“The Western Cape recorded a 30.8% increase from 26 fatalities in 2021 to 34 this year. Mpumalanga recorded a 27.8% increase from 18 road fatalities the previous year to 23 this year.
“The success we have achieved this Easter will add momentum to our efforts to reduce road fatalities by 25% by 2024. Improving our law enforcement capability and visibility, as well as upscaling public safety campaigns will continue to gain traction.”
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