Johannesburg - Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is worried about the vulnerability of pedestrians and passengers after at least 35% of the 235 people who died on the roads during Easter were pedestrians.
Mbalula released the Easter road traffic statistics on Thursday when he gave feedback regarding efforts taken by authorities to stabilise and reduce road crashes during this period.
Mbalula said there was an increase in traffic volumes on national routes in comparison to last year, when inter-provincial travel and movement was restricted as a result of the level 5 lockdown regulations.
The N3 recorded the highest volume of traffic with 151 143 vehicles travelling through various toll gates on this route. The N1/N4 followed with a total of 120 573 vehicles passing through toll gates between Gauteng, Limpopo and the North West.
“The carnage we continue to experience on our roads is influenced by a number of factors, mostly embedded in human behaviour or attitude, vehicle factors as well as environment and road factors,” the minister said.
Mbalula revealed that there were no road fatalities on Thursday, April 1.
However the fatalities spiked on Good Friday, between 6pm and 10pm, when people had reached their destinations and indulged in festivities such as consuming alcohol.
“One of the major disturbing elements emerging from the information gathered thus far is the vulnerability of pedestrians and passengers. At least 35% of the people who died on the roads are pedestrians,” he said.
The minister added that palisade fences and walls intended to stop pedestrians from entering freeways are being vandalised and broken down, increasing the risk for pedestrians.
According to the department’s preliminary figures, 189 crashes were recorded over Easter, which resulted in about 235 fatalities nationwide. The Eastern Cape had 22 crashes and 27 deaths, the Free State had eight and 13 fatalities and Gauteng had 30 with 36 deaths. KZN had 42 crashes with 54 fatalities, Limpopo 27 and 34 fatalities, and Mpumalanga 15 and 18 fatalities.
The Northern Cape had six crashes and seven deaths, North West had 15 crashes and 20 fatalities and the Western Cape had 24 crashes and 26 fatalities.
Mbalula announced that the number of crashes fell by 2.2%, while fatalities decreased by 9.6% compared with the 2019 figures. He said the department did not compare this year’s figures to last year’s because of the then hard lockdown travel restrictions.
“It is, however, concerning to note that the number of pedestrians who died on the roads this year was higher compared to 2019. Pedestrian fatalities increased by 5%, from 30% to 35%,” he said. The minister said about 6% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred between midnight and 2am, during the Covid-19 curfew. The decline in both fatalities and crashes is an indication we are making progress toward achieving the 2030 global target of having no road fatalities,” Mbalula said.
The Star