Highest road death toll in KZN

Police Minister Fikele Mbalula. File photo: ANA

Police Minister Fikele Mbalula. File photo: ANA

Published Jan 24, 2020

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Durban- KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of road fatalities in the country during the festive season - for the second year in a row.

On Thursday, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula released the 2019/20 Festive Season Safety Report in Pretoria during a media briefing.

Twenty-six more people died in KZN during the 2019/20 festive season period, compared to the 328 fatalities during the 2018/19 period.

The period covered in the report was between December 1, 2019 and January 15, 2020.

The report included statistics on road fatalities and law enforcement as well as road safety operations carried out across the country during the festive season.

Mbalula said KZN recorded a 5% decrease in the number of fatal crashes.

Arrive Alive’s advocate Johan Jonck said it was not easy to just say KZN drivers were bad, because during the festive season there was an influx of people from all over the country to the province.

Jonck said it was important to note that there was heavy rainfall in parts of the country in addition to KZN, which would contribute to environmental and road condition factors.

“We need to look at the various types of crashes as well, because I know in KZN we had a few mass casualties and there were a few minibus incidents as well. So it would be interesting to look at the types of vehicles specifically in KZN,” Jonck said.

The passenger vehicles were always a problem and an issue in KZN was use of light delivery vehicles and bakkies to transport many passengers.

Last month Mbalula released the mid-term festive season fatalities statistics, which indicated a reduction in fatalities in all provinces.

KZN registered a decrease from 172 fatalities to 135.

“The most common offences for which traffic fines were issued were: speeding, with 58669 fines issued; driving without a licence, with 26516 fines; driving without fastening a seat belt accounted for 25786 fines; driving unlicensed vehicles at 32481; and fines for driving cars with worn tyres were 13311,” Mbalula said.

He said in SA, the number of vehicles that were stopped and checked over the period increased from 1.3 million in the previous period to 1.5 million. Roadblocks also increased from 775 to 1924.

Mbalula said more than 573147 motorists were issued traffic fines, which was a decrease of 191862.

The number of discontinued vehicles increased from 4016 to 6358 and vehicles that were impounded increased from 2967 to 3814.

Officer Sithole Hlophe from the KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate went beyond the call of duty for her

consistent performance on drunk

driving operations, while officer

Vuyokazi Ntsantsa discontinued the highest number of vehicles while deployed in KZN by the National Traffic Police.

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