Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe said the increase in the number of people who died on the province’s roads this festive season is alarming.
According to a statement last week from the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga released the statistics.
Compared with the previous festive season, the province saw more crashes, fatalities, and serious and slight injuries.
The crashes increased from 802 to 808.
These crashes contributed to the increase in fatalities, which was 158 in the previous festive season and 169 for the period under review.
The province has recorded 609 serious injuries and 894 slight injuries for the period under review.
The previous season saw 484 serious injuries, while about 819 people were slightly injured.
Most fatalities were recorded on the N4 toll road, followed by the R23, R40, R33, R37, and R573.
The statistics also revealed that municipal roads recorded a high number of crashes.
Most crashes happened due to loss of control and overturning, dangerous overtaking, which resulted in head-on collisions, side-swiping, and head-rear collisions.
About 40 pedestrian fatalities were recorded compared with the previous period, a drop of four in this category.
Of the crashes recorded, mostly sedans were involved, followed by light delivery vehicles, mini-bus taxis, and articulated trucks.
Most of these crashes happened between 14:00 and 22:00 between Saturdays and Tuesdays.
According to the statement, officials stopped and checked about 193 678 vehicles in various operations.
Over 75 000 also went through various weighbridges across the province.
More than 31 000 summonses were issued to motorists for offences like excessive speeding, overtaking on a barrier line, disregarding traffic signals, stopping on freeways, and driving defective vehicles, to name a few.
About 11 419 summonses were issued for speed, 998 vehicles impounded, and 535 discontinued.
Altogether, 298 motorists were arrested.
About 103 drivers were arrested for drunken driving, 110 failed to pay their traffic fines and had warrants executed for them, and 38 for excessive speed.
Shongwe said these crashes indicate that more needs to be done to educate motorists about road safety and driver behaviour.
He also said traffic officers cannot be in all corners of the province, so motorists must play their part by obeying the rules.
“We can overcome the scourge of road crashes if we understand that road safety is not the government’s responsibility alone.
“We need everyone to play their part in ensuring safety on our roads by reporting bad driving.”
According to him, the department and its stakeholders will continue to improve road safety strategies.
He thanked law enforcement officers who worked during the holiday season, saying they should not be discouraged by these statistics.
“Without the commitment of law enforcers, the situation could have been worse.”
In conclusion, he praised all the stakeholders, including the media, for their part in the government’s road safety initiatives.
“We also appreciate motorists who obey the rules of the road because we could have recorded even more crashes and fatalities had it not been for their good behaviour.
“I call on all law enforcement officers not to tolerate any disregard for the rules or reckless and negligent driving.”
Condolences went to all the families who had lost loved ones, and a speedy recovery was wished to those who might still be in hospitals.
