Transport Dept set to release Easter road stats

JOHANNESBURG - The Transport Department is expected to release the 2025 Easter weekend road safety report on Tuesday morning.

Minister Barbara Creecy and her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa are expected to brief the media in Pretoria, where they’ll outline the impact of holiday road safety campaigns and deliver the latest statistics on crashes and fatalities.

In 2024, South Africa recorded a sharp rise in Easter weekend road deaths, where 225 lives were lost in 185 crashes, marking a nearly 40% increase from the previous year’s 161 fatalities.

Pedestrians made up almost half of the people killed last Easter, underlining the continued struggle to make roads safer, not just for motorists, but for all who use them.

Authorities responded with intensified operations, issuing more than 30,000 traffic fines, and close to 2,000 drivers were arrested, mostly for speeding, drunk driving and unroadworthy vehicles.

Still, human error remained the biggest contributor to fatal crashes, including dangerous driving, distraction, and ignoring basic road rules.

Creecy is expected to reflect on these patterns and unpack plans to turn the tide, possibly through round-the-clock traffic policing and stronger road safety awareness campaigns.

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