The Central South African provinces, which include the Northern Cape, Free State and North West, have all recorded declines in deaths on their roads. Mbalula released the stats on Friday morning and announced that the Northern Cape recorded only 36 fatalities as compared to 39, with the Free State recording 107 as compared to 108 fatalities. He says the North West recorded 99 road deaths compared to 102 the previous year. Mbalula, during a media briefing, added that SA roads saw an overall number of 1 448 fatalities after 1 210 fatal crashes, with a 7% decline in fatalities and a 10.3% decline in fatal crashes, year-on-year.

He says despite some having been arrested for contravening the alcohol ban, the ban itself played a major part. The N12 road near Potchefstroom in the North West is amongst at least four national roads which recorded the most deaths in the country.

“There was a notable decline of 4.9% in the number of pedestrians who died on the roads compared to the previous year. However, driver fatalities increased from 24.2% to 26.9%, passenger fatalities increased from 32.2% to 34.5%, while cyclist fatalities stood at one per cent,” he adds. The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces are the two provinces that have recorded a decline of over 10%. The Western Cape recorded a decline of 15.9%, with 132 fatalities compared to 157 in 2019/2020, and KwaZulu-Natal recorded a decline of 14%, with 289 fatalities compared to 336 in 2019/20.

OFM News