STEVEN MANN, Johannesburg | Saturday 5.30pm.
The annual holiday season carnage on South African roads continued apace on Saturday, as the death toll since the beginning of December climbed to 354.
In the worst accident recorded this month thus far eight people were killed and six injured when a minibus taxi collided with a car near Kimberly in the Northern Cape early on Saturday morning.
Arrive Alive spokesman Daniel Genge said one of the taxi’s tyres had burst and the driver had lost control and veered into the oncoming traffic.
Seven people died on the scene and another on the way to hospital.
Since the holiday season began 234 accidents have been recorded. Of those who died, 101 were drivers, 157 were passengers and 96 were pedestrians.
Fatalities were highest in KwaZulu-Natal and North West — 49 people have died in each province. The lowest number of road deaths recorded – 20 – was in the Northern Cape.
Genge said despite the high number of deaths on the roads, people continued to exceed the speed limit.
He urged drivers to rest regularly, to check their tyres and not to drink and drive.