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The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has urged motorists to be more vigilant when transporting school children as the fatalities involving learners have surpassed the 100 mark per month.
In a statement on Monday, the RAF said there are approximately four fatalities involving school children per day.
RAF Chief Executive Officer, Collins Letsoalo urged motorists to stay alert and attributed motor vehicle accidents to human factors.
"Let us be a nation that is moved by the loss of human lives and injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents. After all, 88% of all road crashes are due to human factors."
Letsoalo said the RAF would continue educating, creating awareness, and advocating for the responsible and safe use of roads throughout the year.
In a collective effort with other State entities, the RAF supports the Scholar Patrol Programme by providing uniforms and equipment to identified schools. Additionally, the Fund works with local traffic departments to provide the necessary training and monitoring of Scholar Patrol volunteers.
The programme aims to increase road safety awareness among schoolchildren and reduce crashes involving this target group.
Meanwhile, Kirstie Haslam, partner at DSC Attorneys says her firm has seen an 83% increase in claim inquiries in January compared to December
"Lawyers typically see an influx of road accident claims following the festive season and this year is no exception with the recently released disturbing festive season statistics,"
She pointed out that, while the country recorded 1,502 deaths resulting from the 1,234 fatal crashes during the 2024/25 festive season, a concerning 5.3% increase compared to the previous festive season, many more accidents occurred where people were seriously injured.
RAF spokesperson, McIntosh Polela, said people who were involved in road crashes in December 2024 were still likely to be finalising their claims, collecting documents, or busy with the initial claim processes together with their attorneys.
"Some people wait until they are discharged from the hospital or have recovered before claiming. They also have more than two years to submit their claims depending on whether it was a hit and run, the driver of the other car is known and age," Polela adds.
According to the Transport Minister, Barbara Creecy, the country witnessed 1502 deaths resulting from 1234 fatal crashes during the past festive season.
Six provinces recorded increases in the number of fatalities in the 2024/25 festive season compared to 2023/24, namely KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and North West.
