Preliminary data from the 2025/ 26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign indicates a five percent reduction in both fatalities and crashes compared to the same period last year.

This year, a total of 1 427 fatalities were recorded from 1 172 crashes. The data shows that the 2025/ 26 festive season recorded the lowest number of crashes in five years and the same number of fatalities as in the 2023/24 festive season, the Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy revealed during a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, January 15.

Creecy, together with Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, presented the road safety report covering the period from December 1 to January 11.

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Provincial trends and peak periods

Five provinces reported reductions in fatalities, with the Eastern Cape and Free State recording the highest decreases. However, Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Cape saw increases in fatalities during the period.

Statistics reveal a noticeable spike in crashes and deaths between December 15 and 28, accounting for more than 40% of the festive season incidents.

“This confirms that crashes and fatalities rise once travellers reach their destinations and engage in celebrations, rather than during peak travel periods,” Creecy said.

The majority of crashes occurred over weekends, particularly between 19:00 and 21:00 and between midnight and 01:00, and included collisions with pedestrians, hit-and-run incidents, single-vehicle overturns, and head-on collisions.

The highest number of pedestrian fatalities was reported in the City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg, eThekwini, Nkangala District, and the City of Tshwane.

Small motor cars contributed to 55% of crashes, followed by light delivery vehicles at 20%, while minibus vehicles and trucks accounted for only 7% and 6% respectively.

Enforcement and awareness campaigns

During the festive season, law enforcement officers conducted 1 632 roadblocks, stopping and checking 1.8m vehicles. Over 450 000 traffic fines were issued, and 525 drivers were arrested for excessive speeding.

A total of 173 695 drivers were tested for driving under the influence of alcohol, with 8 561 testing positive – a 144% increase on the previous year.

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The highest alcohol reading was recorded in KZN, where one motorist recorded a breath alcohol content 14 times above the legal limit. The highest speeding arrest was in the Northern Cape, where a motorist was clocked at 222 km/h in a 120 km/h zone.

Officers also arrested 89 motorists attempting to bribe traffic officials. To improve road safety, 2 547 physical education and awareness programmes were conducted nationwide, including visits to mass transit points, malls, and other high-traffic areas.

The department carried out a wide-reaching community awareness and education campaign through radio, television, and social media platforms. Key focuses included roadworthiness checks, driver licences, seatbelt and child restraint compliance, and clamping down on speeding and drunk driving.

Annual trends

Annual preliminary data show that road collisions and fatalities in 2025 are the lowest in five years. Between January 1 and December 31, 11 418 fatalities were recorded from 9 674 crashes, compared with 12 581 fatalities from 10 633 crashes in 2021.

“Crashes decreased by 6.4% in 2025 compared with 2024, while fatalities dropped by 6.2% in the same period,” Creecy said, highlighting the effectiveness of sustained road safety enforcement and public awareness campaigns.