INFOGRAPHIC: KZN festive season road stats
The design of roads that accommodate pedestrians and cyclists is being discussed in earnest at a road safety summit taking place in Durban.
A commission dealing with safer roads has been tackling the problems that get in the way of ensuring safer roads for road users.
Waiti Maphakela of the National Department of Transport says South African road design previously did not cater for the most vulnerable road users.
"There will be regular assessments by all authorities to ensure that our roads conform to the manual - which is the standard for road construction. So if there are hazardous conditions on a particular road, there should be regular checks. If there's need for trees to be cut, if they're obstructing the road signs that are not visible - to ensure safety, it's not something big that somebody has to do," he said.
Road safety remains a concern for the department especially during the festive season - when most road fatalities occur, annually.
In 2015, KwaZulu-Natal was the province with the highest number of road deaths over the festive period.
The infographic below highlights the provincial road statistics between 2013 and 2015:
