No 'cooldrinks' this festive season, Creecy warns
As motorists prepare to buckle up and drive to their respective holiday destinations, the Department of Transport launched its road and safety festive season campaign on Sunday.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the year's campaign would focus on improving driver behaviour and law enforcement.
“We have partnered with civil society groups, taxi associations, the Automobile Association, as well as faith-based and non-governmental organisations. We want to ensure compliance with both law enforcement and road users,” Creecy said in Pretoria.
Some 1,200 people lost their lives on the country’s roads during last year’s festive season, with Creecy saying that speeding and drunk driving are the leading causes of car fatalities in the country.
“Road fatalities do not only impact the families of the affected persons, but there is also a massive cost to the economy. Last year road crashes cost us R205 billion. This amounts to 2.7% of our Gross Domestic Product.”
The minister said her department has set a goal to reduce road traffic deaths by 50% by 2030.
She also confirmed that 20 accident-prone areas have been identified across the country.
“Four places in Limpopo, three in Mpumalanga, one in Gauteng, two in North West, two in KZN, six in the Eastern Cape and one particular area in the Western Cape,” Creecy added.
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