Pedestrian Deaths Make Up 68% of Cape Town's Road Fatalities
- A recent Traffic Crash Report indicates that, on average, one person is killed every 11 hours and 40 minutes on Cape Town’s roads
- The report examines all recorded road crashes in Cape Town between 2021 and 2024
- It used data collected from accident report forms submitted by 79 SAPS stations and traffic centres across the city
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Getty Images
CAPE TOWN - A recently released Traffic Crash Report by the City of Cape Town highlights the ongoing risks on the city’s roads, revealing that, on average, one person dies every 11 hours and 40 minutes.
Road crashes from 2021 to 2024
According to The South African, the analysis covers all reported road crashes from 2021 to 2024, based on accident report forms from 79 SAPS stations and traffic centres across the metro. During these four years, 3,007 people lost their lives in 262,225 recorded crashes, with pedestrians making up more than two-thirds of all fatalities. The City’s Urban Mobility Directorate noted that speeding and disregard for traffic signals continue to put pedestrians in particularly vulnerable positions.
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Councillor Rob Quintas, the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, described the number of daily road deaths and injuries as deeply concerning, highlighting that pedestrians are disproportionately affected. He emphasised that the data is crucial for shaping road safety policies, planning targeted interventions, and guiding traffic management strategies.
181 Crashes occur each day
The report shows that 739 people died in 2021, 779 in 2022, 785 in 2023, and 704 in 2024, with an average of 181 crashes occurring each day. Pedestrians accounted for 68% of all fatalities, while 76% of those killed were male. Over 3,100 children aged 1-14 were involved in crashes, Fridays recorded the highest number of incidents, and peak crash times were between 07:00-09:00 and 17:00-18:00.
With the festive season underway, Quintas urged both motorists and pedestrians to exercise caution. He encouraged drivers to obey traffic rules and share the road responsibly, while reminding pedestrians to always use crossings and ensure it is safe before stepping onto the road.
Source: Twitter
Other crash-related stories
A little girl was among 13 people who were killed in an accident on the R81 in Limpopo on 29 September 2025. The accident happened between Mooketsi and Polokwane in Ga-Sekgopo. The taxi was carrying churchgoers who were on their way from a church service in Solomondale. The taxi was trapped between the two trucks, and the passengers, all women, and the driver died.
Two people were killed when a truck overturned on the N1 near Bryanston on 26 September. The accident involved a tanker and two other vehicles on the N1 Northbound before the Winnie Mandela Drive. The truck overturned and spilt its cooking oil load. Two of the truck's occupants were declared dead at the scene.
Five killed in Imbali accident
In a related article, Briefly News reported that five children were killed when a taxi ploughed into a creche in Pietermaritzburg. The accident occurred in Imbal.
The driver of the scholar transport lost control after his brakes failed. The driver jumped out of the vehicle before it impacted the building.
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Source: Briefly News
