Cape Town - The Western Cape recorded lower road-related fatalities this week as compared to the figures of the previous week. In the week heading to Christmas, there were 55 fatalities from 35 crashes.
The number of fatalities between December 27, 2021 and January 2 was 32 from 22 crashes.
MEC of Transport and Public Work Daylin Mitchell expressed pleasure at the fewer fatalities recorded. “I am pleased to note lower road-related fatalities this week when compared to the figures of the previous week,” he said.
“While traffic management, which consists of Road Safety Management, Traffic Training and Development and Traffic Law Enforcement, plays a key role in making roads safer, each road user has an obligation to use our roads responsibly,” Mitchell said.
The deadliest crash recorded was on New Year’s Day, when six people were killed after the minibus they were travelling in slammed into a concrete barrier on the N1 highway near Laingsburg.
Preliminary investigation indicated that driver fatigue may have been the cause of the accident. It is believed that the driver allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel before the vehicle left the road and crashed.
Mitchell revealed that the Provincial Traffic Services implemented a total of 52 integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and speed control operations across the province during the week of December 27 to January 2, and 38 049 vehicles were stopped and checked.
“When looking at the number of vehicles on our roads, it is clear that the vast majority of road users are responsible and law-abiding, but unfortunately there are those who gamble with their own and other road users’ lives. These are the ones who have to understand that the public road network is not a place in which to act irresponsibly and endanger the lives of fellow users.”
Thirty-one drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Mitchell said: “Although this figure reflects a high success rate, the incidence of drink driving remains really concerning to me, and our teams are working around the clock to keep these drunk drivers off our roads.”