Road Fatalities at Start of September a Cause for Serious Concern

Road deaths in the Western Cape fell by 21 for the month of August, when compared with the figure for August 2011. August 2012 figures are at 90 fatalities, compared to the 111 deaths recorded in August 2011.

• August, 2008: 133 
• August, 2009: 117 
• August, 2010: 108
• August, 2011: 111
• August, 2012 : 90

Since January 2009, the 12-month moving annual figure of road deaths has declined from 1 739 to 1 231 - a reduction of 29.2%.

"We are on track to reaching our goal set through our Safely Home campaign, which is to reduce road crash fatalities by 50% by the end of 2014. Initiatives such as Crash Witness and our Safely Home Reporter, as well as various other initiatives, are helping to curb irresponsible behaviour and educate the public as to the dangers that exist on our roads."

"I wish to thank all those road users who have used the roads responsibly during this period. These active and responsible citizens that value their own lives and that of others are the reason more and more lives are saved on our roads," said Robin Carlisle, Minister of Transport and Public Works.

The figures collected thus far for the month of September are revealing that there is still cause for serious concern. In 2011, September had recorded 83 fatalities on our roads, the lowest figure for any month since January 2009. The figures are already alarmingly high this month, and indicate that the most dangerous and high-risk period (for pedestrians particularly) is over weekends, when a large proportion of the deaths occur. The first weekend of the month saw the loss of eight lives (four pedestrians) on our roads, and the following weekend (Saturday and Sunday) saw the loss of another ten lives, seven of which were pedestrians.

"I also want to warn all road users about the dangers of driving on weekends. Almost half of the deaths recorded on our roads are occurring on Saturdays and Sundays. All road users (drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike) must be especially alert on these days."

"Drunk driving and speeding remain the key focus of weekend enforcement blitzes, and these will be increased as we gear up for the upcoming school holidays and plan for further operations during the festive season. Enforcement authorities have been instructed not to relax their efforts in this regard. Motorists should not be gambling with their lives and the lives of other road users by driving at excessive speeds or after having had too much to drink," added Minister Carlisle.

Crash Witness footage and the Safely Home Reporter can be found on the Safely Home website, www.safelyhome.westerncape.gov.za.