Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has commended the ban of alcohol by the South African government and tipped the ban as having played a role in the decline of road fatalities this past festive season.
He said, overall, 1 448 people died on South Africa's roads from 1 210 accidents.
These accidents were recorded between 1 December 2020 and 11 January 2021.
The Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and North West all recorded a decline in the number of lives lost on the roads this past festive season whilst Mpumalanga was the only Province showing an increase.
In the Eastern Cape, 228 people were killed, a 1.3% decline from the previous year.
Minister Mbalula said the N2 near Idutywa accounted for most of the accidents.
He says 54.3% of all the fatal accidents occurred on the weekends and were within residential areas.
Mbalula says the main causes for accidents were jaywalking, hit and runs, speeding, overtaking onto oncoming traffic, wet and slippery surfaces and tyre bursts.
Minister Mbulula added that while most South Africans seemed to have respected the law and observed the curfew, a few intransigent motorists were on the road when they should not have been.
He said 34.1% off the accidents happened between midnight and 6 am.
