Johannesburg - Preliminary statistics show that road fatalities during the 2016 holiday season increased in five provinces and declined in four provinces: namely Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape and North West.
This according to minster of transport Dipuo Peters on the release of the preliminary report. Poor visibility, sharp bends and faulty brakes were among the main contributory factors to the road crashes that occurred during the holiday period.
A total of 1714 fatalities were recorded in this holiday season, a five percent increase on the corresponding period in 2015.
Limpopo recorded the highest increase of 31 percent, from 186 fatalities in the 2015 holiday season to 244 in this period.
Passengers constituted 40 percent of fatalities, pedestrians 34 percent, drivers 24 percent and cyclists two percent. Children aged four or less constituted six percent of pedestrian deaths.
The Eastern Cape reported the biggest decline in fatalities, with a reduction of 20 percent compared to the same period in 2015, when it had 265 fatalities.