KZN records increase in fatal road crashes
The Department of Transport is seeking to reclassify drunken driving from a Schedule 3 [offence]... to a more severe Schedule 5 offence.
KWAZULU Natal has recorded an increase in road crashes since the start of the festive season.
According to Transport Minister Dipuo Peterthe province has seen an increase of 32 road crashes and also recorded an increase of fatal road crash incidents to 31, compared to the same period last year.
Other provinces which have recorded an increase in fatalities were Limpopo with 63, Mpumalanga with 44, the Free State with 17 and the North West with six. Provinces which recorded a decrease in fatalities include the Eastern Cape at 31, the Western Cape as well as the Northern Cape with two, while Gauteng stood at four.
Addressing the media on Tuesday on the state of the Festive Season Road Safety Campaign, Minister Peters said the number of fatalities has increased by 17% compared to the same period in the previous year.
“There have been 684 fatal crashes recorded since 1 to 19 December 2016. Nationally, there is an increase of 16% in comparison to the same period in the previous year,” Minister Peters said.
The minister said her department would continue to engage with the Department of Justice to introduce minimum sentences for negligent and reckless driving.
“We are seeking to reclassify drunken driving from a Schedule 3 [offence]… to a more severe Schedule 5 offence to ensure those who negligently cause crashes on the roads do not get bail easily and spend time behind bars,” Minister Peters said.
Human factors which caused accidents included pedestrian jaywalking at 30.7%, while speed accounted for 15.2%, hit and run accounted for 10.2% and overtaking facing oncoming vehicles was at 7.6%.
Men account for 78.4% of fatalities. Women account for 21.2%.
Passengers accounted for 39.2% of fatalities, while pedestrians accounted for 34.3%. Driver errors contributed to 23.8% of the road fatalities.
Minister Peters encouraged motorists to be responsible on the roads.
“These are really trying times. We need everyone to accept that roads are shared spaces and that road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Minister Peters said.
