POLOKWANE – The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community safety have reported a reduction in road fatalities over the 2022/2023 festive period as compared to the previous year.
A total of 179 lives were lost in the province, reducing the 2021 figure of 216 by 20.8%.
The MEC Florence Radzilani made the announcement during a media briefing in Polokwane earlier today (January 18) where she attributed the decline to publicised road safety awareness campaigns and intensified man-power on all problematic routes.
Radzilani added that the department set a target to reduce fatalities by at least 10% and surpassed that figure.
Of all the reported accidents, the Polokwane Police Station received 46, the highest number in the Capricorn district.
Radzilani said their investigations show that negative human behaviour attributes the most to fatalities.
“The biggest problem on our roads is human behaviour. This ranges from unsafe crossing of roads by pedestrians, over-speeding, reckless driving and fatigue,” she said.
Of the 179 deaths, 60 were pedestrians.
“These normally happens after hours, during weekends, and it confirms our suspicions that the majority of these victims, could have been drunk,” she said.
To combat this, the department aims at continuing its road safety awareness campaigns tirelessly until an eventual zero road facility target is reached.
Road fatalities per district:
- Waterberg – 40
- Capricorn – 45
- Mopani – 30
- Sekhukhune – 25
- Vhembe – 39
Read more in next week’s Observer.
