Pretoria - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to plan their trips carefully and to avoid travelling at night.
According to the RTMC, an analysis of fatal crashes over the past festive seasons shows that the number of collisions increased between 4pm and midnight between Thursday and Sunday.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said this could be attributable to factors such as poor visibility, fatigue and impaired driving.
However, the early hours of the morning before dawn were also a dangerous period in which to drive.
Early on Monday morning, a collision between a truck and a taxi left 11 commuters in the taxi dead and three injured. They were travelling on the N1 between Winburg and Verkeerdevlei in the Free State. The death toll subsequently rose to 13.
The vehicles collided head-on at about 3.15am. The driver of the truck was reported to have escaped unharmed.
Zwane highlighted that pedestrian collisions and single vehicles overturning were the most common contributors to fatal crashes at this time of the year.
He called for high levels of vigilance when motorists were travelling in build-up areas, and for them to take time to rest.
He said driving conditions were likely to be complicated by predictions of severe thunderstorms and heavy downpours in many parts of the country during this period.
“Motorists should reduce speed when driving in rainy conditions and be extremely cautious when crossing low-lying bridges,” he added.
Pretoria News