South Africa’s significant rise in road crashes is being fuelled by inadequate transport systems, ineffective mobility solutions and the country’s deteriorating road infrastructure.
This was the view of the Automobile Association reacting to the festive season road traffic statistics that were released by Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, earlier this week.
According to the road traffic statistics, 1 502 people were killed on the roads during the December/January festive season, marking a 5.3% rise in fatalities compared with the 2023/24 season. There was a 4.2% increase in the number of road crashes during the period and 41% of fatalities involved pedestrians.
The AA said it had serious concerns regarding the reported deaths, which it described as a national tragedy.
“The increase in fatalities during the festive season, specifically between December 2023 and January 2024, compared to the subsequent 2024/2025 period, is deeply concerning. This trend underscores the urgent necessity for substantial enhancements in road safety initiatives.
“This staggering figure contrasts with the United Nations' sustainable development goals, which aim to halve road deaths and serious injuries by the end of 2030.”
The AA said, considering the crisis, it was imperative for the government to commit to significant investments in mobility infrastructure, to elevate the standards of road transport, and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement on the roads.
“These actions are fundamental to fostering an environment that minimises fatalities resulting from human error.”
It suggested that a highly effective recommendation would be to implement a mandatory annual vehicle inspection as part of the vehicle licence renewal process that covers both the mechanical fitness and roadworthiness of a vehicle in collaboration with independent organisations.
“Such an initiative would ensure that every vehicle on our roads is safe and roadworthy, thereby significantly mitigating the risk of accidents caused by mechanical failure. A troubling number of tragic incidents occur due to unfit vehicles that should not be on the road, coupled with mechanical failures in cars that are poorly maintained,” the AA said.
“Without these critical interventions, the harrowing statistics on road fatalities released by the Department of Transport will continue unabated, resulting in more needless loss of life.”
The AA said the ongoing crisis of road safety represented a national tragedy, costing the economy an estimated R200 billion according to data released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
