Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has revealed that 512 people have lost their lives on South Africa’s roads since December 1. Speaking at a media briefing in the Western Cape on Thursday, Creecy highlighted a worrying rise in road accidents and fatalities during the festive season.
“There has been an increase in accidents and also an increase in fatalities. There is a three per cent rise in serious accidents, with a total of 426 crashes involving fatalities since December 1. Forty-five per cent of those who have died are pedestrians,” she said.
The Minister also reported that law enforcement efforts have resulted in over 3,000 arrests at roadblocks across the country.
“We do remain concerned about the high number of people among these 3,000 that we have pulled over for drunk driving. A third of these arrests have been for drunk driving,” Creecy noted.
Authorities are urging motorists and pedestrians to exercise greater caution to reduce the alarming statistics and save lives this holiday season.