Traffic officials to up presence on roads over the Easter weekend

An expected rise in traffic over the Easter weekend after two years of lockdown is expected to tax traffic authorities.

The Easter 2021 road statistics included of 189 crashes and 235 fatalities nationwide between 2 and 5 April.

Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula delivered the Easter road safety campaign strategy on Tuesday and used it to show law enforcement technology. The campaign aims to promoteresponsible road use during the Easter period and beyond.

According to Mbalula, in order to guarantee an end to carnage on roads, a “skilful deployment” of resources was needed and there would be a deployment of law enforcement officers through a collaborative mechanism.

He said the South African Police Service, the national traffic police and provincial and municipal traffic officers would introduce a 24/7 shift system to increase the visibility of traffic officers on the roads at all hours of the day.

“The focus will be on the use of safety belts, roadworthiness of vehicles, fatigue, drunk driving, pedestrian safety and dangerous driving, which includes speeding, recklessness and overtaking on barrier lines,” he said.

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Mbalula said 1,823 people lost their lives on the roads in January and February, up from the 1,521 fatalities in the same period last year.

“The leading causes of fatal crashes were accidents with pedestrians followed by single vehicle overturning, hit-and-run including head-on collisions.

“Drunk driving is suspected to be an underlying factor in hit-and-run incidents and overturning of single vehicles,” he said.

Mbalula said after the release of the January statistics they were intent on intensifying law enforcement operations focused on drunk driving and that there would be zero tolerance for “Phuza Thursday”.

“Since then we have conducted 147 Phuza weekend operations resulting in 483 arrests. This campaign will be strengthened over the coming Easter weekend, right through to the May long weekend ending on 2 May,” he said.

Mbalula also urged those with expired driving licence cards to renew their licences.

“The end of the state of disaster means we can no longer issue directions that extend further the grace period,” he added.