1 502 killed in 1 234 fatal crashes: Human errors blamed for carnage

NATIONAL NEWS AND VIDEO - During the festive season, 1 502 people died in 1 234 fatal crashes. Minibuses were involved in 53% of major crashes.

According to The Witness, a total of 304 people were killed in 247 fatal crashes in KZN, the highest recorded in the 2024/25 festive season, compared to 2023/24.

This was revealed by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy during the announcement of the preliminary 2024/25 festive season statistics, earlier today.

Creecy said the country has a long way to go in reducing road carnage. She noted that the statistics highlight how South African road users continue to disobey traffic laws, with tragic consequences.

The number of fatalities represents a year-on-year increase of 5.3% compared to the 2023/24 festive season, alongside a 4.2% increase in crashes. There were 18 major crashes resulting in 134 fatalities.

“The preliminary statistics are deeply disturbing, but these numbers on paper don’t tell us anything about the human story, about the tragedies which struck so many families across the country, about the pain of losing a loved one to a road crash. All the more disturbing, then, is the fact that most crashes and deaths are a result of human factors,” said Creecy.

She revealed that 87% of crashes were caused by human behaviour, including hit-and-runs, jaywalking, fatigue, loss of vehicle control, speeding, drunk driving, and reckless overtaking. Pedestrian fatalities remain a major concern, accounting for 41% of all road deaths. KZN ranked among the top three provinces with the highest number of pedestrian fatalities at 44.33%.

Law enforcement arrested 9 550 motorists during the festive season, with 3 840 individuals detained for drunk driving. Another 414 drivers were arrested for speeding, with five caught driving between 200km/h and over 240km/h.

The highest recorded speed was 245km/h in Gauteng on the N1 near Honeydew on 18 December, involving a BMW sedan.

Officers issued 711 184 fines for various traffic offences. Among these, 23 607 fines were for failure to wear seatbelts, and 16 925 were for using cellphones while driving. Additionally, 16 527 vehicles were declared unroadworthy, and traffic fines were issued along with the removal of licence discs. A total of 8 917 vehicles were impounded.

“As we said at the beginning of the festive season, government and our law enforcement agencies cannot do it on our own. The statistics clearly send all of us, as South Africans, one message: Drivers and pedestrians must change their behaviour. We must obey the law, we must obey the basic rules of the road,” Creecy stated.

Creecy added that she has asked provinces to conduct a detailed analysis of their respective statistics and present a clear plan for moving forward at the end of January. This will include examining stricter consequences for those who continue to disregard road safety.