512 Fatalities on South Africa's Roads Since 1 December, 941 Motorists Arrested for Drunk Driving

• 512 people have been killed on the country's roads since the beginning of December
• Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy confirmed that 45% of the fatalities were pedestrians
• Over 3,000 people have been arrested in roadblocks, many of them driving under the influence

WESTERN CAPE – Over 500 people have died on the country’s roads since the start of December.

That figure was revealed by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, during the mid-festive season preliminary road safety report.

Creecy presented the figures at a media briefing on the N1 road at Touws River on 19 December.

426 crashes recorded since 1 December

During her address, Creecy noted that there have been 426 crashes on the country’s roads since 1 December.

As a result, 512 people have already died. Last year, 719 people had died on the country's roads by 22 December.

The minister also added that 45% of those who died were pedestrians.

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"There has been an increase in accidents and also an increase in fatalities. There is a three per cent increase in serious accidents, with a total of 426 crashes that involved fatalities since 1 December. Forty-five per cent of those who have died are pedestrians," she said.

Creecy concerned about drunk drivers

The minister also noted the number of motorists driving under the influence.

She explained that 561 roadblocks have been conducted this month so far, arresting over 3,000 people. 941 of those motorists were arrested for drunk driving.

Five provinces account for most deaths

Creecy also said it was worth noting that five provinces accounted for most of the accidents.

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo accounted for 70% of road fatalities thus far. The Eastern Cape has witnessed some terrible accidents thus far alone.

On 16 December, 15 people were killed when a minibus taxi and an SUV collided near Graaff-Reinet.

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KZN records 63 accidents in December

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the number of accidents in KZN in December.

An increase in traffic volumes has seen the province record 63 road crashes in just three weeks.

Nearly 200 traffic officers have been deployed in accident hotspots in the province.

Source: Briefly News