Johannesburg - South Africa’s 2016/2017 festive season road death toll decreased by 12 percent, Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi announced on Monday.
According to statistics released by the Department of Transport, a total of 1527 people died on South Africa’s roads between December 1 2017 and January 15 2018, compared to 1714 fatalities recorded during the previous period.
Seven of the provinces recorded declines in the number of road deaths, with only the Western Cape and North West registering increases.
According to the department, the highest number of fatalities was among pedestrians, increasing from 34 percent to 37 percent of the total.
Fatalities among drivers increased from 23 percent to 27 percent, but there was a decline in passenger fatalities from 41 percent to 35 percent.
The DOT also noted an increase in fatalities among young drivers aged between 25 and 34, and a decline in deaths among those aged 35 to 49.
The minister said that there was a decline in the number of people arrested for drinking and driving, from 5943 to 3301, but there was an increase in the number of arrests for speeding, up from 875 to 922.