Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Vusi Shongwe has expressed concern in the increase of road accidents and fatalities during the festive season in Mpumalanga.
Preliminary reports have indicated a total of 661 accidents since 1 December last year to 3 January in which 141 people died and 1308 were injured.
According to the figures, Gert Sibande District recorded 181 accidents in which 50 people died and 232 escaped with minor injuries.
In 2014 during the same period, Gert Sibande District had recorded 183 crashes where 31 people died and 240 suffered minor injuries.
The MEC remains adamant that a lot still needs to be done where both motorists and pedestrians have a lot to do with reducing or increasing the figures.
Shongwe also said that drunk driving was among the factors that contributed to most fatal crashes.
He also called on the Department of Justice to impose harsher sentences on such perpetrators to deter other drivers from committing the same offences.
“We cannot continue endangering other people’s lives with irresponsible and reckless use of the road by some motorists who display disregard for traffic rules, “said Shongwe.
He applauded law enforcement officers and emergency personnel for their hard work, while many others were with their families. He also called on the public to play a role and report bad driving to the authorities.
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