Festive season deaths in Gauteng fell 5.2%, proving road safety campaigns work, but pedestrian fatalities remain tragically high.
For once, Gauteng’s festive season roads are telling a different story: fewer deaths, more hope.
Preliminary data collected between 1 and 28 December shows Gauteng is turning the tide on road fatalities – though the battle is far from won.
Statistics from this period reveal a 5.2% decrease in road accident deaths compared with the same time last year.
Nationally, Gauteng is one of only three provinces recording a fall in fatalities this season.
Yet the numbers tell a sobering story. Just last week, a 12% decrease was reported.
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That changed dramatically after a devastating weekend on 27 December. In a single crash on the N1 under the Wallmansthal Road Bridge five people – two women and three children – lost their lives.
That same night, three women attempting to cross the N1, near Randfontein, were struck by a vehicle. Two died instantly.
These tragedies remind us that behind every statistic is a shattered family. Progress cannot mean complacency.
This progress didn’t happen by accident. It is as a direct result of our “It Starts With You” campaign, which places personal responsibility at the heart of road safety.
Unlike traditional approaches that rely solely on enforcement, this campaign recognises a fundamental truth: 87% of crashes are caused by human behaviour.
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The campaign targets drivers aged 18 to 35 – the demographic most likely to engage in reckless behaviour – but extends to all road users, including pedestrians.
It reinforces three critical pillars: visible enforcement, anticorruption efforts and practical safety education.
One of our biggest challenges has been the alarming death toll of pedestrians. Between 1 and 28 December 2024, 123 pedestrians died. This past year, that figure stands at 96 – 27 lives saved, but still unacceptably high.
Pedestrians consistently account for over half of weekly fatalities. Many of these deaths are preventable. Community campaigns revealed that many pedestrians were unaware of simple safety measures – such as wearing bright clothing at night.
Enforcement has also intensified, with 98 pedestrians arrested nationally for unsafe crossing.
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One of the biggest causes of pedestrian deaths has been drinking and walking.
Far too many had consumed alcohol before the accidents.
When women die in a single night crossing a freeway, we know the message has not reached everyone. Public education on jaywalking must be taken more seriously by all road users and parents at home.
Speeding remains one of the biggest killers. The biggest offender was arrested driving at 245km/h in a BMW on the N1, near Honeydew, on 18 December.
We have intensified action against unroadworthy vehicles, especially in public transport.
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Since early December, 54 unroadworthy minibuses have been taken off the road.
Between 15 and 21 December, 16 minibuses with critical defects – faulty brakes, worn tyres, broken headlights and cracked windscreens – were identified.
Additionally, 131 minibus taxi drivers were found operating without valid licences and 44 arrests were made for serious offences including drunk and reckless driving.
These efforts will continue into this month, when scholar transport vehicles will be rigorously checked to ensure children travel safely to and from school.
On 22 December, two law enforcement officers were killed in separate crashes while on duty.
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A Gauteng Traffic Police motorcycle rider died after colliding with a vehicle driven by someone with only a learner’s licence. Later that day, a South African Police Service member died when the marked vehicle crashed into a truck.
The officers were out there protecting us. Their deaths remind us that reckless behaviour doesn’t discriminate.
“It Starts With You” emphasises government and law enforcement cannot do this alone.
As Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said: “We, South Africans, must change our behaviour on the roads.”
Every decision counts. The choice to wear bright clothing at night. The choice to cross at a pedestrian crossing. The choice to refuse that drink before driving. The choice to check tyres and brakes. The choice to obey the speed limit. The choice not to walk on a freeway.
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These are not government’s choices to make – they are yours. It begins with all of us taking personal responsibility for safety on our roads.
The 5.2% decrease shows what’s possible when enforcement meets accountability. But 96 pedestrian deaths are still 96 families devastated.
So, remember road safety begins with the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Make it count.
