A total of 1 617 people were killed on South African roads over the past festive season.
The Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula released the statistics for the 2019/2020 festive season on Thursday.
He says the fatalities were as a result of 1 390 crashes.
Provincial death toll:
KwaZulu Natal: 354
Gauteng: 254
Eastern Cape: 242
Limpopo: 217
Mpumalanga: 144
Western Cape: 136
Free State: 111
North West: 110
Northern Cape: 49
Drunk drivers:
Mbalula says over the festive season a total of 9 414 motorists were arrested for various offences including drunken driving, speeding and reckless and negligent driving.
He said a medical doctor was arrested in Gauteng after involvement in a collision and was found to be under the influence of alcohol whilst three police officers, one SANDF member, a member of Correctional Services and a security officer were arrested in the Eastern Cape for drunken driving.
Mbalula said it is unacceptable that law enforcement officials should be found breaking the law and called on the courts to consider their careers as an aggravating factor and give them the toughest sentences possible.
Traffic fines:
The most common offences for which traffic fines were issued were
speeding: 58 669
driving without a licence: 26 516
driving without a seatbelt: 25 786
driving unlicensed vehicles: 32 481
Driving cars with worn tyres: 13 311
