Festive Season road deaths reduced by over 20 percent in Mpumalanga

The increased cooperation among the stakeholders and law enforcement visibility are some of the reasons why Mpumalanga Province recorded reductions in fatalities, fatal crashes and serious injuries for the period of 1 December 2019 to 15 January 2020.
 
This is according to the MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison,Gabisile Shabalala who was speaking after the tabling of the Festive Season Arrive Alive Report by the Minister of Transport, Mr Fikile Mbalula in Pretoria yesterday afternoon.

During the period, 144 people were killed in the province as compared to 187 road deaths that were recorded last year and this represents a reduction of 23%. There was a further reduction of 12, 23% in fatal crashes because for the period under review, 122 fatal crashes took place as compared to last year’s 139.
 
A further decrease of 36, 51% was made with regards to serious injuries because only 487 people were affected while last year it was about 767 people who were seriously injured as a result of road crashes.

The only increase was in slight injuries which went up from 961 to 1005 and this represents an upward trend of 4,38%.
 
Of the total number of people who have perished due to these crashes, 51 of them were drivers while 47 passengers and 46 pedestrians did not survive. A reduction of 36,99 % was made with regards to pedestrians’ deaths as compared to last year’s 73 pedestrian fatalities.
 
The statistics have further revealed that 66 fatalities occurred in Nkangala District followed by Gert Sibande District 35 and Ehlanzeni District with 43 fatalities respectively. The N4 toll road has seen 23 people losing their lives as compared to last year’s 27 road deaths.
 
It is followed by various municipal roads which collectively recorded 10 fatalities. R573 (Moloto) and R38 roads have seen crashes claiming five lives each. Other problematic routes include R555, R536, R38, R546, R40, R38, N17, N2 and R23 roads.
 
Most of the fatalities were as a result of pedestrians being hit by moving vehicles and this accounted for 46 fatal injuries. 22 lives were also claimed as a consequence of head on collisions. Vehicles overturning and side swipes collisions each led to 21 deaths.
 

MEC Shabalala said although there are reductions in fatalities and fatal crashes, the number of people who die on the road is still too high. She added that one road death is one too many. The MEC mentioned that the increased law enforcement visibility has also contributed towards improving the situation.
 
She thanked the law enforcement officers who worked very hard during the holiday season saying they need to continue with the same vigour even beyond the holiday season. She also praised all stakeholders, including the media, for their participation in government’s road safety initiatives.
 
“You must continue to show no mercy to any errant driver behaviour so that more lives are saved on the road. We also appreciate the motorists who behaved well because was it not for them the situation could have been worse. We want every person to become active agents of road safety by not only using the road safely but by also reporting any bad driver behaviour,” Shabalala added.
 
On the other hand, the MEC believes that with harsher punishing of traffic offenders, a huge impact will be made in government’s road safety efforts. She has therefore called on law enforcers at all levels to ensure that they spur no effort in bringing to book any person found to be using the road in a reckless manner.
 
Meanwhile the MEC also indicated that the department will continue to increase focus on priority routes saying that monitoring will be strengthened in such routes particularly during busy weekends and holiday seasons.
 
MEC Shabalala has further sent her heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones during the Festive Season and she has also wished those who may still be in various hospitals across the province a speedy recovery.