Limpopo bemoans increase in road crashes
LIMPOPO – Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety MEC, Voilet Mathye, has expressed concerns over the number of road crashes that suddenly increased, resulting in more deaths on the province’s roads.
The recently reported concerning crashes on the roads occur despite the department’s effort to prevent them through the launch of the October Transport Month last year.
Additionally, several Safer Festive Season awareness campaigns had also been initiated in various districts.
MEC Mathye said what is quiet disheartening is that the crashes stand at 140, which accounts to 180 fatalities.
“On behalf of the department and the people of Limpopo, we once more wish to convey our sincere condolences. One road death is one too many,” stated Mathye.
She indicated that human error contributed greatly to the increase in fatalities with aspects such as reckless driving, texting while driving, overspeeding and fatigue taking the lead.
“In the meantime, as the department, we shall continue with visible traffic law enforcement with the prospects of implementing on a 24-hour basis. We are also pleased that new traffic officers will be hitting the road with effect from March 1, 2025. Road safety is the responsibility of all of us. Let’s at all times remember the concept ‘Edward’ meaning ‘Every Day without a Road Death’,” remarked Mathye.
During the release of the 2024/2025 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign statistics on Monday, Transport Minister, Barbara Creecy, said the country has a long way to go to reduce the carnage on its roads.
Creecy indicated that the statistics tell that all South African road users continue to disobey the traffic laws with no regard to human life – that has had and continues to have tragic consequences.
“Our law enforcement officers issued 711 184 fines for various traffic offences across the country. Some 23 607 fines were issued to drivers who failed to wear seatbelts, while another 16 925 motorists were fined for using cellphones while driving. Sixteen thousand five hundred and Twenty-seven vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and issued with traffic fines as well as their motor vehicle license discs removed, particularly is areas where vehicles could not be impounded due to lack of impoundment facilities. To clamp down on drunken driving, speeding and other moving violations, our officers arrested more than 9 550 motorists, with 3 840 individuals arrested for drunken driving. The number of fatalities represents a year-on-year increase of 5.3% compared to the 2023/2024 festive season, with a 4.2% increase in the number of crashes. This is most regrettable, more so because it reverses the incremental strides made in recent years,” elaborated Creecy.
Tragically, the country witnessed 1 502 deaths resulting from 1 234 fatal crashes during the 2024/2025 festive season.
Sox provinces recorded increases in the number of fatalities in the period under review compared to 2023/2024 namely KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West.
