Holiday season road accident statistics

FACT FILE

BECAUSE of the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa’s roads are likely to be far quieter this December than in previous years, so the road accident statistics are likely to be lower than normal.

However, it is worth pausing and considering the risks associated with travelling over the festive season, and taking precautions: ensure your car is roadworthy, don’t drink and drive, don’t drive when you are feeling sleepy, and be extra vigilant for errant drivers. Also, make sure you are properly covered – that your car is insured, and that you and your family are covered for injuries and death.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation compiles an annual report on road accidents over the festive season (the period from 1 December to 11 January). Here are some sobering statistics from the State of Road Safety Report: 2019/2020 Festive Season.

FATALITIES

A total of 1 616 people lost their lives on our roads between 1 December 2019 and 11 January this year. The breakdown is as follows: l 36% passengers

About three-quarters of the people killed were male and about one-quarter female.

Of the 388 drivers killed, the age groups with the highest fatalities were:

30-34: 23%

35-39: 19%

25-29: 12%

40-44: 11%

In other words, 65% of the drivers who died were between 25 and 44.

Of the 582 passengers killed, the age groups with the highest fatalities were:

30-34: 16%

25-29: 14%

20-24: 10%

35-39: 10%

Children below five years of age accounted for 7% of passenger fatalities.

FATAL ACCIDENTS

There were 1362 fatal accidents (an accident in which at least one person dies).

The provincial breakdown:

KwaZulu-Natal: 278 (20.4%)

Gauteng: 229 (16.8%)

Eastern Cape: 207 (15.2%)

Limpopo: 184 (13.5%)

Western Cape: 129 (9.5%)

Mpumalanga: 118 (8.7%)

Free State: 88 (6.5%)

Northwest: 85 (6.2%)

Northern Cape: (3.2%)

LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL VEHICLES

At the end of 2019 there were about 11.5 million registered motorised vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, minibuses, motorcycles) on South Africa’s roads. There are more than one million unroadworthy and/or unlicensed vehicles on the roads.

Unroadworthy vehicles are one of the major contributors to fatal road crashes in South Africa, according to a release by the Road Traffic Management Corporation. “Seven percent of road crashes during the festive season last year were attributed to the unroadworthiness of vehicles. Tyre bursts, defective brakes, smooth tyres and dysfunctional lights are some of the factors that have been identified as leading causes of fatal crashes involving unroadworthy vehicles.”

MAKE SURE YOU ARE PROPERLY COVERED – THAT YOUR CAR IS INSURED, AND THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE COVERED FOR INJURIES AND DEATH