CAPE TOWN - Driving under the influence of alcohol continues to plague South Africa, with 961 drunk drivers arrested in January 2022.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the first of the 2022 Monthly Road statistics in Johannesburg on Monday.
He said about 1 051 drivers were arrested for operating public transport vehicles without the necessary operating licence and 212 were arrested for overloading passengers.
“During the month under review, 637 fatal crashes were recorded, accounting for 774 fatalities. This represents a 75% increase in crashes from 484 and 78% increase in fatalities from 602, year-on-year,” said Mbalula.
Gauteng was the worst affected with 138 deaths, followed by Limpopo which recorded 123, and 121 from the Western Cape.
Pedestrians accounted for the highest number of fatalities at 39% followed by passengers at 28%, drivers 26% and cyclists at 7%.
“Necessary interventions will be taken in the next months to turn the situation around. A focused national pedestrian programme will be introduced targeting all hazardous routes.
“There will also be an increased focus on driver and vehicle fitness with various stakeholders.
“Drunk-driving operations will be scaled up starting on Thursdays and continued throughout the weekend. The message we want to emphasise is that there will be no more Phuza Thursdays and those who want to drive must organise alternative transport,” said Mbalula.
He said plans for the Easter travel peak period were being firmed up and they would take into account the data that emerged from the monthly monitoring to improve the effectiveness of interventions.
Cape Times