Lim records highest increase in road fatalities
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters has blamed the majority of fatal crashes during the festive season on driver incompetence and unroadworthy vehicles.
LIMPOPO – Transport Minister Dipuo Peters released the festive season road death statistics for 2016 in Midrand yesterday.
According to the statistics, Limpopo recorded the highest increase in fatalities by 31%, moving from 186 fatalities in the 2015 period to 244 fatalities in the 2016 period.
KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Limpopo jointly accounted to 61% @SindiChikunga @DipuoPeters @TransportLimCom @KZNTransport
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Peters says a total of 1,714 fatalities were recorded in this festive period, which is a 5% increase on the previous period and has blamed the majority of fatal crashes during the festive season on driver incompetence and unroadworthy vehicles.
“I have instructed the Road Traffic Management Corporation to undertake an audit of how driving licenses as well as roadworthy certificates are processed and issued in our testing stations,” she said.
About 6805 un-roadworthy vehicles were suspended @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @RAF_SA @TrafficRTMC @GovernmentZA @TransportLimCom @SAgovnews
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Peters has also stated the Department of Transport is seeking to introduce a heavier penalty for those caught drinking and driving, driving negligently or driving recklessly.
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“We are seeking to reclassify drunken driving from a Schedule 3 [offence]… to a more severe Schedule 5 offence to ensure those who negligently cause crashes on the roads do not get bail easily and spend time behind bars,” Peters said.
The statistics also showed an increase in passenger fatalities which constituted 40% of fatalities.
Passengers constituted 40% of fatalities, pedestrians 34%, drivers 24% and cyclists 2% @SindiChikunga @DipuoPeters @GovernmentZA @RAF_SA
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Children aged from 0 to 4 contributed 6% of pedestrians death followed by light delivery vehicles contributed 18% minibus vehicles 10%
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Other statistics included the number of roadblocks, fines, impounds and arrests that were made over the festive period on South Africa’s roads.
Law enforcement officers conducted more than 432 roadblocks throughout the country @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @RAF_SA @TrafficRTMC
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
453 263 fines were issued @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @TrafficRTMC @TransportLimCom @RAF_SA @GovernmentZA @SANRAL_za @KZNTransport
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
According to Peters, 28 238 of those fines were issued to motorists who weren’t wearing seatbelts and 4 046 were issued to motorists using their cellphones.
2501 motor vehicle were impounded @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @RAF_SA @TrafficRTMC @GovernmentZA @TransportLimCom @KZNTransport
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Officers arrested 9 175 motorists and 5 943 which is 65% was drunken driving @DipuoPeters @SindiChikunga @RAF_SA @TrafficRTMC @GovernmentZA
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
18 drivers were arrested for driving at excessive speeds between 185 km/h and over 200 km/h.
The highest speedster was arrested in Gauteng travelling 239 km an hour on R21 near Tshwane driving Mercedes Benz @DipuoPeters @RAF_SA
— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) January 10, 2017
Peters says she is concerned about the incompetence of some drivers and the number of unroadworthy vehicles on the roads and has warned those who obtained their licences illegally, that they will lose them.
