Provincial Traffic Services traffic operations: 28 December 2022 to 2 January 2023
Hard work pays off with lowest road fatalities this festive season
Following on the busy Christmas long-weekend, the new year long weekend is traditionally associated with high traffic volumes especially around the coastal areas of the Western Cape. The hard work by traffic law enforcement with the support of other law enforcement and emergency services as well as law-abiding road users resulted in the lowest number of road-related fatalities this festive season. “Our thoughts go to those families who lost loved ones this week,” said Dr Ivan Meyer, acting Provincial Minister of Mobility. “While fourteen people lost their lives on our roads, we managed to take 70 drunk drivers off our provincial road network and a further 9 speedsters were nabbed,” Meyer added.
Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services implemented a total of 315 integrated roadblocks, vehicle check point and speed control operations across the province in the week of 28 December 2022 to 2 January 2023, and 42 910 vehicles were stopped and checked. A total of 12 651 fines were issued for various traffic violations ranging from driver to vehicle fitness.
A total of 431 speeding offences were recorded.
“The highest number of road fatalities were, again, pedestrians and while it is considerably fewer than the previous reporting period, it is still concerning to us,” said Meyer.
If you are a motorist, show consideration for pedestrians wherever they are. Pedestrians are almost always killed in collisions with vehicles travelling faster than 60km/ hour. Slowing down will give you more time to avoid pedestrians in the road. If you are travelling more slowly and you collide with a pedestrian, the pedestrian is more likely to survive. Be particularly careful when you come across child pedestrians. They may behave unpredictably and may struggle to understand how quickly a vehicle is moving. Because children are short, in a collision, they are likely to be hit in the head and chest and are therefore more likely to be killed.
The highest speeds recorded this week were as follows:
- 178 km/h in a 120 km/h zone
- 139 km/h in a 100 km/h zone
- 124 km/h in an 80 km/h zone
- 114 km/h in a 70 km/h zone
- 79 km/h in a 60 km/h zone
- 59 km/h in a 40 km/h zone
Forty-one vehicles were impounded and 152 were discontinued for unroadworthiness.
National Road Traffic Act and Criminal Procedure Act
A total of 103 arrests were made for the following offences:
- 70 x driving under the influence of alcohol.
- 4 x reckless and negligent driving.
- 9 x speeding.
- 14 x possession of fraudulent documentation.
- 1 x bribery.
- 1 x obstructs or hinder an authorized officer in the execution of his/her duty.
- 1 x driving or riding a motor vehicle without owner's consent.
- 2 x operating an un-roadworthy vehicle.
- 1 x assault.
Fatalities recorded between 28 December 2022 to 2 January 2023
A total of 14 crashes occurred in the reporting period, and 14 fatalities were recorded:
- 1 x drivers.
- 2 x motor-cyclists.
- 2 x passengers.
- 9 x pedestrians.
#BoozeFreeRoads. Alcohol and roads don’t mix.
Media Enquiries
Jandre Bakker
Head of Communication
Department of Transport and Public Works