Johannesburg: Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has confirmed 189 crashes were recorded, resulting in 235 deaths nationwide over the Easter period.
Mbalula Released the Easter Traffic Statistics on Thursday:
Gauteng recorded 30 crashes and 36 fatalities.
The Eastern Cape recorded 22 crashes and 27 fatalities.
Free State recorded 8 crashes
and 13 fatalities.
Kwa-Zulu Natal recorded 42 crashes and 54 fatalities.
Mpumalanga recorded 15 crashes and 18 fatalities.
Limpopo recorded 27 crashes and 34 fatalities.
The Northern Cape recorded 6 crashes and 7 fatalities.
North West recorded 15 crashes and 20 fatalities.
Western Cape recorded 24 crashes and 26 fatalities.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula Releases Easter Road Traffic Stats (2021).:
Fatalities on the road
A number of factors embedded in human behaviour or attitude, vehicle factors as well as environment or road factors influences the carnage experienced on the roads.
"There were no fatalities on Thursday when traffic volumes reached the peak. However, they spiked on Friday between 18h00 and 22h00 when people had reached
their destinations and were indulging in weekend festivities that include alcohol consumption," the Minister said.
He said one of the major disturbing elements emerging from the information gathered thus far is the vulnerability of pedestrians and passengers.
At least 35% of people who died on the roads are pedestrians.
Their vulnerability manifests itself in the following ways:
Drinking and walking, including jaywalking,
Crossing the road at dangerous points,
Informal settlements situated alongside busy roads and intersections
Walking on and crossing of highways, and
Failure to wear visible clothing at night
"Preliminary figures show that we experienced an increase in traffic volumes along major arterial routes leading out of Gauteng and back.
The N1 north to Limpopo, the N3 towards Kwa-Zulu Natal and the N4 towards Mpumalanga were particularly busy.
"The N3 recorded the highest volume of traffic with 151 143 vehicles travelling through various tollgates on this route. The N1/N4 followed with a total of 120 573 vehicles passing through tollgates between Gauteng, Limpopo and the North West," the Minister said.
The N1 south between Gauteng through the Free State to the Western Cape recorded 64 001 vehicles while 14 864 vehicles were registered on the N2 in KwaZulu-Natal.
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