Collaboration drives five-year low in festive road deaths
Strong partnerships, tougher enforcement, and community action helped drive festive season road fatalities to their lowest level in five years.
According to the Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (AWARE.org), the festive season saw the lowest number of road crashes in five years, showing what can be achieved when enforcement, education, and community action work together.
A total of 1 427 fatalities from 1 172 crashes were recorded, reflecting a 6.2% reduction in fatalities compared to the previous year. These results follow a year of strategic partnerships and coordinated interventions across the road safety sector.
“Collaboration is the force multiplier for road safety efforts. By linking enforcement, education, rehabilitation, and community awareness, we can move beyond awareness to action, change behaviour, and save lives every day,” says AWARE.org CEO Mokebe Thulo.
Building momentum through collaboration
For Thulo, the groundwork for these results was laid throughout 2025. AWARE.org hosted a Road Safety Roundtable during Easter, bringing together stakeholders across the road safety value chain to identify gaps and opportunities.
This was followed in October by the Don’t Drink and Drive Seminar, which convened Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, law enforcement, and community partners to develop a co-ordinated, action-oriented roadmap.
“These engagements strengthened partnerships with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Gauteng and Eastern Cape Liquor Boards, metropolitan police departments, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), and private sector partners,” Thulo added.
Enforcement, education, and awareness in action
Throughout 2025, AWARE.org intensified efforts to curb alcohol-related road incidents through enforcement, awareness, and rehabilitation initiatives. Working with law enforcement in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay, and the RTMC, these efforts resulted in 7 585 roadblocks and 14 190 arrests for drinking and driving.
Complementing enforcement, 127 awareness campaigns reached more than 8 400 people, while the festive season #Shiyimoto campaign reached over 1.6 million people on social media, with a traditional media reach of 42 785 283.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy praised the combined impact of law enforcement and public road safety education, noting that integrated efforts across government, civil society, and communities made a meaningful difference this festive season.
The road ahead
Nationally, 1 328 road safety education and awareness programmes were conducted during the year, alongside intensified enforcement that saw 1.8 million vehicles stopped at 1 632 roadblocks. Of the 173 695 drivers tested for alcohol impairment, 8 561 tested positive.
RTMC Chief Communication Officer Simon Zwane said the increased number of roadblocks reflects a firmer stance on road safety and reinforces that saving lives is a shared responsibility.
Looking ahead, Minister Creecy announced plans to amend Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act, moving towards zero-tolerance drunk driving legislation.
“AWARE.org will continue strengthening partnerships and expanding its metro-based pilot programme, integrating education, awareness, and visible enforcement, with intensified campaigns during high-risk periods,” Thulo concluded.
