MEC worried about fatalities
The MEC further ordered law enforcement officers to continue with their zero tolerance approach towards reckless and negligent drivers to curb the unnecessary loss of lives on the road.
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Mr Pat Ngomane is worried about the increased number of road fatalities experienced in the province during the festive season.
A recent preliminary report on road crashes recorded from December to this month shows a variety of results, as there were declines and increases in various areas.
In 2015, the province recorded 693 crashes and last year the number reduced to 619. 113 people died last year as opposed to 103 in 2015.
The Gert Sibande District recorded a decline in road crashes and fatalities. For the period 2015/16 there were 207 crashes and 2016/17 recorded 167.
Road fatalities for 2015/16 were 56 and 53 for 2016/17. There were 157 injuries in 2015/16 and 145 in 2016/17.
People who suffered slight injuries were 272 in the 2015/16 period and only 168 for 2016/17.
10 accidents were recorded on the N17 in 2015/16 and there were 16 in 2016/17, with nine fatalities in 2015/16 and eight in 2016/17.
Mr Ngomane attributed the road accidents and fatalities to excessive speeding, reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles and dangerous overtaking.
The MEC said the figures drew a bleak picture and called on all road users to exercise caution on the roads.
He commended law enforcers for their work and said without their dedication and visibility, the situation could have been worse.
The MEC further ordered law enforcement officers to continue with their zero tolerance approach towards reckless and negligent drivers to curb the unnecessary loss of lives on the road.
