Johannesburg - The National Freedom Party has expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the 1 451 individuals who lost their lives on South African roads during the recent festive season.
The party says although there was a 13.9% decline in fatalities compared to the previous year, there is still much work to be done to address the ongoing issue of road safety in our country.
"Human factors, such as reckless and negligent driving, continue to be the main cause of accidents, accounting for 87% of all incidents. The NFP calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and greater education on responsible driving practices by the government," said the party.
The parliamentary leader for the NFP, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, says that there needs to be improved infrastructure and facilities for heavy-duty vehicles, as statistics show that trucks and minibuses were involved in a significant number of fatal crashes.
"By providing these vehicles with designated rest areas, we can reduce the likelihood of fatigue-related accidents and improve overall safety on our roads. Additionally, we urge the Department of Transport to prioritise upgrading road infrastructure and maintenance in order to create safer road conditions for all South Africans," he said.
While the Automobile Association (AA) also acknowledged the decrease in the number of road fatalities during the recent festive period compared to the previous period, this is encouraging and welcomed.
The AA did, however, caution about the numbers, as the death toll on the country’s roads remains too high and requires urgent intervention.
The Association said that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said that during the festive period from 1 December 2022 to 11 January 2023, 1451 people died on South African roads.
"There are some concerning elements about these numbers, however. Firstly, the official recorded a number of fatalities by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) over the 2021/2022 period was 1808 fatalities, not 1685. This brings into question the accuracy of the numbers provided overall, an issue we have raised before. Secondly, the rate of 1451 fatalities is simply still too high and cannot be regarded as a gain in terms of road safety," the AA said.
"The Association pointed out that Mbalula, the government-appointed Traffic Law Enforcement Review Committee, called for a doubling of the number of traffic law enforcers, but to date, there is nothing to suggest this recommendation has been implemented," says the AA.
The AA highlighted that while the government notes that road crashes costs the economy close to R2 billion annually, not enough is being done to improve the situation.
"The number of fatalities remains alarmingly high year-on-year and shows no signs of decreasing meaningfully. While we applaud the dedication of traffic law enforcers around the country, particularly during peak travel times, we believe an increase in funding and resourcing of traffic law enforcement is essential to ensure a significant drop in the number of crashes and fatalities," added the AA.
The Star