Festive season road carnage up 14%

File picture: AP Photo / San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

File picture: AP Photo / San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Published Jan 12, 2016

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Pretoria - It's been a festive season marred by carnage in South Africa, with preliminary road death figures having increased by 14 percent to 1755, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said on Tuesday.

“In the period between December 1, (2015) and January 11 (2016) the 1387 fatal crashes experienced on the roads represents 11 percent increase in the number of crashes compared to the 2014 festive season where 1253 were recorded,” Peters told reporters at a media briefing in Pretoria.

“Invariably, the fatalities increased by 220 (14 percent) from 1535 over the same period in the previous year to 1755,” Peters said.

KwaZulu-Natal is the only province that recorded a decline in the percentage of fatalities by two percent, while the Western Cape recorded the highest percentage of fatal crashes with fatalities in that province increasing from 122 to 162.

The majority of people who died were passengers at 33.3 percent followed by pedestrians at 33.9 percent. Drivers contributed 23.9 percent of the fatalities and cyclists 2.8 percent, Peters said.

MORE MALES KILLED

The majority of those killed were males, making up 74 percent of total fatalities. Females accounted for 25.2 percent of the road deaths, while the sex of the remainder of those killed could not be established due to bodies being burnt beyond immediate recognition.

“Very disturbingly, of this number, 81.4 percent is apportioned to blacks while the remainder varies between coloureds, whites, Asians and foreigners,” said Peters.

According to the department of transport, the “human factor” was the biggest contributor to fatal crashes. Many of the collisions occurred as a result of jaywalking, speeding, overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

African News Agency

SA RESPONDS ON TWITTER:

#RoadStats South Africa: 1,775 #RoadDeaths from Dec 2015 to 11 Jan 2016. Don't be a statistic - road safety starts with YOU! ☝

— Leandri J van Vuuren (@Lean3JvV) January 12, 2016

#RoadDeaths We should be crying..tears of blood.This is disgustingly insane.What are we going to do about it? $@DipuoPeters @FatalMoves

— DashcamZA (@Dashcampros) January 12, 2016

Donald Grant: Driver attitude and behaviour is the main issue. Drunk driving and driver fatigue are also problems. #RoadDeaths

— Joanne Joseph (@JoanneGJoseph) January 12, 2016

1755 people killed from 1 Dec until 11 January on the country's roads. That's more than one person every hour. Too many deaths #RoadDeaths

— NgwanaModimo (@MrMogase) January 12, 2016

Perhaps the government should consider publicising provincial and national road deaths statistics on a monthly basis. #Roaddeaths

— Hlony Mofubetsoana (@mofubetsoanal) December 28, 2015

Road Safety does not take a holiday, Always wear your seatbelt. #myroadyourroad @_ArriveAlive @DoTransport pic.twitter.com/0uYNET42Qz

— IG: RAF_ROAD (@RAF_SA) January 12, 2016

Most crashes occurring between 14h00 and 23h00 at 51.4% @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @TrafficRTMC @RAF_SA @SANRAL_za

— Transport Department (@DoTransport) January 12, 2016

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