Polo drivers crash the most – study reveals

The Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Quantum are the vehicle models mostly involved in fatal crashes in South Africa and account for the highest number of speed infringement fines issued, a study conducted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has revealed.

The study, titled South African Fatal Crashes in Context, and published last month, analysed fatal crash data from 1 October 2017 to 30 June 2021 and Aarto speed infringement data from 1 January 2019 to 20 June 2021.

According to the study, 48,330 vehicles were involved in 37,583 fatal crashes, with 45,232 deaths during the period.

An analysis of the top 20 vehicle models involved in fatal crashes showed that the Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Quantum were involved in 43.2% of fatal crashes.

The Volkswagen Polo took the first spot, with a contribution of 16.7% of all fatal crashes, followed closely by the Toyota Hilux which was involved in 14.2% of fatal crashes and the Toyota Quantum with a recorded 12.2% involvement in fatal crashes.

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The three vehicle models also accounted for the highest number of Aarto speed infringement fines issued by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Tshwane Metro Police Department, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, and the National Traffic Police, reveals the study.

A total of 35% of speed infringement fines were issued to these three vehicle models in the period under review even though they constituted 33% of the total vehicle population.

“Although it is expected that public transport vehicles will be involved in crashes because they are on the road on a semi-full-time basis and travel more million vehicle kilometres compared to other vehicle models, their contribution to fatalities remains unacceptably high considering that they constitute a mere 3.3% of the total vehicle population,” says the RTMC.

Here is the top 20 list of vehicle make and model with the highest contribution to fatal crashes and speed infringements and their representation in the total vehicle population.

According to the study, private cars accounted for more than half of all fatal crashes, while a separate analysis of vehicle registration numbers recorded for fatal crashes alarmingly showed that 95 marked SAPS vehicles were involved in fatal crashes.

In terms of vehicle age, the study found that most vehicles involved in fatal crashes are 1 to 20 years old, with vehicles aged between 5 and 10 years involved in 28.9% of all fatal crashes.

Vehicles aged between 5 and 20 years were involved in 61.4% of fatal crashes, while those aged 2 to 5 years were involved in 22.2% of all fatal crashes and newer vehicles up to 2 years old involved in 18.7% of fatal crashes.

The Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Quantum vehicles aged between 5-10 years were involved in most fatal crashes when ranked by the grouping of vehicle make, model and age.