Gauteng Tops Festive Road Deaths as Transport Minister Sounds Alarm

Gauteng’s Festive Roads Tell A Grim Story

As South Africans hit the roads for holidays, family visits and year-end getaways, Gauteng has emerged as the province with the deadliest festive season so far. Since the start of the festive period, 105 people have lost their lives in 95 crashes on Gauteng roads, according to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy.

The figures were revealed during a mid-festive road safety briefing at a roadblock on the N2 near Somerset West in the Western Cape. While the location was far from Gauteng, the message was firmly national and deeply concerning.

For many Gauteng residents, these numbers feel uncomfortably close to home. Long-distance taxi routes, congested highways like the N1 and N3, and heavy holiday traffic heading out of Johannesburg have once again placed the province under the spotlight.

A National Drop That Still Comes At A High Cost

There is one glimmer of relief in the preliminary data. Creecy confirmed that overall road fatalities across South Africa have dropped by just over 20% compared to the same period last year.

At this point in the 2024 festive season, 635 deaths had been recorded. This year, that figure stands at 505.

But the Minister was clear that this improvement should not be mistaken for success.

Despite the decline, South Africa is still losing an average of 32 people every single day on its roads during the festive season. For families receiving phone calls instead of holiday greetings, the statistics offer little comfort.

Why Gauteng Continues To Struggle

Gauteng’s position at the top of the fatality list is not new. As the country’s economic hub, the province carries intense traffic volumes, especially during December. Long-haul freight, interprovincial buses, taxis and private vehicles all funnel through its road network.

Social media reactions following the briefing echoed a familiar frustration. Road safety groups and ordinary motorists pointed to speeding, reckless overtaking, fatigue and alcohol abuse as recurring problems. Many also questioned whether enough visible policing is happening on Gauteng’s busiest routes, especially late at night.

Arrive Alive and other road safety advocates have renewed calls for drivers to slow down and plan journeys more carefully, warning that even one poor decision can have permanent consequences.

A Warning As The Festive Rush Continues

With the busiest travel days still ahead, Creecy’s message was less about celebration and more about urgency. The early drop in fatalities shows progress is possible, but Gauteng’s numbers underline how fragile that progress remains.

For now, the festive season continues, but the reminder is stark. Every trip carries responsibility, and on Gauteng’s crowded roads, that responsibility has never mattered more.

{Source:SABC News}

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