Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, has reported a reduction in the number of road accidents at the half-way mark in the implementation of the Department’s festive season plan.
Releasing the statistics at the Beit Bridge Border post on Monday, he said a total of 489 fatal crashes were recorded as of last Friday, which resulted in 589 deaths compared to the 656 fatal crashes last year which claimed 839 lives.
Mbabalu said all provinces recorded reduction in fatalities, with the Eastern Cape reporting 81 fatalities down from 102 last year.
"Our evaluation shows that our law enforcement interventions are on target and continue to have the desired impact," he said, adding that a full analysis will be done at the end of the campaign in January.
According to a Transport Department statement, a total of 629 661 vehicles were stopped in 539 roadblocks staged nationwide since the beginning of the campaign which resulted in 231 937 traffic fines being issued to motorists for various transgressions of the law.
Minister Mbalula said a total of 1 397 drivers were arrested for drunk driving.
The Minister warned though that the reduction in road fatalities recorded so far does “not mean that we are out of the woods yet.”
