MBOMBELA – Approximately 109 people died on provincial roads between December 1 and December 31, which showed a significant decrease when compared with last year’s 130 deaths.
The province recorded more than 567 accidents, compared with 591 in December 2012.
Mr Joseph Mabuza, the spokesman for community safety, security and liaison attributes the reduction to the increased visibility of law enforcement.
He said fatalities had gone down by 16,15 per cent and accidents by 4,06 per cent, however, the number of serious injuries increased from last year’s 376 to 428, while minor injuries went from 660 to 649.
According to Mabuza, the problematic roads remained to be the N4, R40, N11, R573, R33, D797, N3, and N12. The Nkangala region in the Highveld recorded the highest number of fatalities, where more than 47 lives were lost in 212 accidents. It was followed by Ehlanzeni region in the Lowveld with 35 fatalities in 203 accidents. Second is the Gert Sibande region in its southern Highveld, with 27 fatalities from 154 accidents.
MEC Mr Vusi Shongwe said the figures remain too high and road users need to prioritise road safety at all times.
“Tough measures should be taken against those who violate traffic regulations in order to deter future transgressors,” said Shongwe.
He said that motorists need to take driving seriously and ensure that they are vigilant at all times while on the road.
“We need to reduce accidents and save lives. We must play our part in making our roads safer as most accidents are attributable to human error.”
Meanwhile, from December 1 to 31, Mpumalanga traffic authorities stopped 202 122 vehicles, including 20 163 minibus taxis, 3 764 SUVs, 44 610 bakkies, 5 447 sedans, and 2 435 buses, among others.
These operations led to 1 518 motorists being served with written notices for dangerous overtaking, while 14 075 were fined for speeding.
A further 3 193 fines were issued for faulty tyres, while 2 132 cases of motorists driving without safety belts were also reported.
More than 1 000 vehicles had faulty lights and 1 182 were taken off the road as they were deemed unroadworthy, while 1 757 were impounded.
Only 102 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, excessive speeding, overloading, driving without valid licences, and producing false documentation, among others.
