Transport Department Says Content Creation a Major Cause of Road Accidents, SA Says It’s Poor Roads

• The Department of Transport warned that content creation was a rising cause of accidents in the country
• Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa noted that motorists were making content while driving
• South Africans argued that the poor state of the roads was the real cause of the numerous accidents
• Arrive Alive CEO Advocate Johan Jonck explained to Briefly News how distracted driving was a major concern

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

EASTERN CAPE – The Department of Transport (DoT) is gearing up for the upcoming Easter weekend but noted with concern that there is a new trend contributing to accidents on the roads.

Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa stated that content creation while driving was becoming a major problem in the country.

Hlengwa raised the concern at the launch of the Easter Arrive Alive Campaign in Gqeberha on Sunday, 13 April 2025. The number of motorists on the country's roads is expected to spike significantly come the Easter weekend, as experienced last year.

Deputy Minister details major contributors to accidents

During the event, Hlengwa noted that drinking and driving was still a major contributor to accidents, but added that it wasn’t the only one. He noted that speed remained a major factor as well, but added that there was a new concern: that of content creation.

“The heightened level of the usage of cell phones behind the steering wheel is generally around content creation for Instagram, TikTok, amongst others,” he said.

The Department is hoping to experience a safer Easter weekend on the roads as opposed to last year. In one accident alone, 45 people were killed in a bus crash in Limpopo. The victims were all from Botswana.

Distracted driving remains a problem

Speaking to Briefly News, Arrive Alive CEO Advocate Johan Jonck also expressed concern about the new trend.

Jonck noted that distracted driving remained a problem not only in South Africa but also globally.

“Sadly, with TikTok and Instagram, many users are seeking attention for views and followers. They are creating either funny, controversial or traumatic videos to try and increase their following," he said.

Jonck added that this included boasting about their high speeds or consuming alcohol.

He also explained that while this happened frequently, it was hard to provide a statistic, as many would deny they were busy with content creation before an accident because they risked insurers rejecting their claims then.

South Africans weigh in on deputy minister’s statement

Social media users weighed in on the statement, with many saying that the state of the roads was a bigger problem.

Tshepo Leon Makhura said:

“Most of the time, people are dying because of the many potholes."

Zuxx Mvimbi stated:

“And they don't say anything about potholes.”

Mhana Mesha N Oscar added:

“They must have tried it for them to talk like that and not say anything about potholes and the bad state of our roads.”

Mbongeni Zondo said:

“The real pandemic is a lack of road maintenance.”

Baratile Theophilus Maboya suggested:

“Fix potholes, and then later on you can address your content pandemic✌️thank you, minister.”

DoT details festive season statistics

Briefly News also reported on the road accident statistics during the festive season in 2024.

The DoT revealed that the province of KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of fatalities.

Gauteng had the second-highest number of fatalities, while the Northern Cape had the lowest.

Source: Briefly News