A small decrease in festive season road fatalities in South Africa is ‘commendable’, says the AA. However, it believes the number of deaths on South African roads is still too high and more needs to be done.
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Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, released details on festive season road fatalities today. And according to the AA a reduction in deaths from 1 December 2023 to 11 January 2024 signals an ‘improvement in road-safety efforts by authorities’.
FESTIVE SEASON ROAD FATALITIES
Nevertheless, 1 427 people lost their lives on South African roads over the festive season, which is a reduction of 25 (1.75%) compared to one-year earlier. However, it remains concerned about the amount of festive season road fatalities and says we should ‘guard against considering this a victory’.
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“We acknowledge the efforts of law enforcers to deal effectively with road safety. But we reiterate our view that heightened law enforcement for only a four-week period will not result in improved road safety,” said the AA.
DRIVER BEHAVIOUR
Minister Chikunga says human factors accounted for 80 percent of all deaths during the festive period. To that the AA says driver behaviour will only be changed over time and with concerted effort.
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As a result, it calls on government to ensure more law enforcers are made available. “In addition, more education and awareness campaigns must be initiated throughout the year to prioritise road safety,” concludes the AA.
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