Transport Minister Barbara Creecy
South Africa recorded its lowest number of Easter weekend road crashes and fatalities in three years, although there was a rise in pedestrian deaths, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said on Tuesday.
Road crashes dropped by 32.5%, from 209 in 2024 to 141 this year while road fatalities also declined significantly — from 307 to 167, Creecy said as she released her department’s road safety report.
“These statistics tell us that there is a benefit when we start our communication and education campaign earlier than the travel period,” she said.
The Easter weekend road safety campaign began on 30 March and will continue until 4 May, to cover four consecutive long weekends, which Creecy said tend to increase the risk of fatal crashes due to drunk driving, higher pedestrian activity, sports and social events, and heavier traffic on national and provincial roads.
According to the report, 177 584 vehicles were stopped and checked during this period, 44 505 traffic fines were issued and 2 018 vehicles were discontinued, while 1 536 were impounded and 941 drivers arrested for driving under the influence.
Creecy credited the decline in crashes and fatalities to consistent law enforcement, cooperation between the three spheres of government, and partnerships with civil society.
The Easter campaign comes after the 2024 December festive season saw a 5.3% increase in fatalities and 87% of crashes caused by speeding and drunken driving.
“The issue we want to hammer home is that driver behaviour is the primary cause of fatalities. In other countries, environmental factors may dominate, but here it’s driver behaviour,” said Creecy.
South African National Taxi Association spokesperson Rebecca Phala said its Thlokomela road campaign in collaboration with the transport department had made significant progress from 2010 when 40% of fatalities were taxi related.
Southern Africa Bus Operators Association spokesperson Nelisiwe Mkhabela said the Easter weekend campaign had reinforced professionalism, vehicle road worthiness and driver compliance.
“The noticeable reductions in road pressure and fatalities over the past three months reflect what is possible through collective action, strong leadership and collaboration,“ said Mkhabela.
All provinces recorded a decline in crashes, except the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.
Limpopo recorded the steepest decline in fatalities — from 81 to 13. Gauteng saw 22 deaths compared with 54 in 2024 and KwaZulu-Natal recorded 27, down from 47.
In contrast, Mpumalanga recorded a 27.3% increase, with 28 deaths this year compared with 22 last year.
“We’re investigating what happened in Mpumalanga. Most crashes were on the N4 and appear to be head-on collisions. We don’t yet know if speed or alcohol was a factor, but there were multiple fatalities,” she said.
Pedestrian-related incidents remain a major concern, accounting for 81% of all road crashes.
“Pedestrian deaths now make up 47% of all fatalities — almost half. This shocking reality shows our road safety messages aren’t reaching pedestrians. We need targeted action at the local level, where most of these tragedies are happening,” Creecy said.
The department is also focusing on educating communities with low vehicle ownership, where people may not understand the physics of road movement and terminal velocity.
“A large number of those killed are children walking home from school. I appeal to parents, school principals and governing bodies to help ensure children cross roads safely,” the transport minister said.
She added that the department was on track to meet its target of halving road crashes and fatalities by 2029 and achieving a day without road deaths.