This year’s Easter Weekend Road Safety Report shows that South Africa recorded the lowest number of crashes and fatalities in the last three years.

“Crashes were reduced from 209 in 2024 to 141 in 2025, which is a 32.5% overall decrease compared to 2024,” Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said earlier today.

According to the minister, all provinces recorded decreases except the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, which both recorded an increase.

“Fatalities were reduced from 307 in 2024 to 167 in 2025, which is a 45.6% decrease. All provinces recorded decreases in fatalities except Mpumalanga, which recorded a 27.3% increase compared to 2024.

“Twenty-eight fatalities were recorded in Mpumalanga compared to 22 in 2024,” Creecy said in Pretoria during a media briefing.

The 2025 Easter Season Road Safety Arrive Alive campaign was launched on March 20 and will run until Friday, under the theme: It begins with Me.

Government has attributed the overall decrease in both accidents and fatalities to widespread and consistent law enforcement operations across all nine provinces, co-ordinated action by national, provincial and local government authorities, and significant partnerships between civil society and government.

“Long weekends are a period when the risk of fatal crashes and fatalities increases because of drunken driving, increased pedestrian movements, sports and social events, including increased traffic volumes on national and provincial routes.

“These statistics tell us that there is a benefit when we start our communication and education campaign earlier than the travel period. It shows that the involvement of civil society organisations and collaboration of all law enforcement agencies is pivotal in impacting on road user behaviour.

“Furthermore, joint planning by law enforcement agencies from national, provincial, and municipal level increases the impact of operations,” she said.

The minister said Easter weekend statistics are reflective of a broader downward trend in road accidents and accident-related fatalities.

“From January to March, we have seen a 16% decline in the number of fatalities and a 13% decrease in the total number of road accidents. Crashes decreased in eight provinces except Mpumalanga, which recorded the same number of crashes as in the previous year,” she said.

Fatalities decreased in seven provinces except Free State, which had a 5% increase, and Mpumalanga, which had a 1% increase.

Fatalities involving pedestrians now account for 47% – or almost half – of all road deaths.

“This shocking reality indicates that our message to pedestrians is not reaching home and we have to do much more work at a local level where these accidents occur.

“Overall, we now believe that it will be possible to meet our target to reduce crashes and fatalities by at least 50% by 2029. Our challenge is to sustain this achievement daily, weekly and monthly,” the minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

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