2023/24 Festive Season Road Traffic Statistics released
24 Jan 2024 | ArriveAlive
Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, today released the preliminary 2023/24 festive season road traffic statistics at a media briefing in Gauteng.
The number of registered vehicles at the start of this year’s festive season campaign on December 1, 2023, stood at 13 133 035. This was significantly higher than the 12 964 430 registered on December 1, 2022 and thus bringing more 168 000 registered vehicles on to the road.
At the same time, the total number of driving licences issued stood at 15 343 067 in December 2023 compared to 14 897 925 in December 2022.
Information from the toll concessionaires indicates that roads were extremely busy with traffic volumes reaching 853 564 at the peak of travelling on December 20 alone.
The 2023-2024 festive season period was marked by heavy rainfall and storms which created challenges on the road.
A closer examination of the crashes and fatalities over the 2023/24 festive period depicted the following trends:
• Most of the crashes occurred in the first week (December 01 to 07), the third week (December 15 to 21) and the fourth week (December 22 to 28). The first week incorporated the payday weekend when people had received bonuses and were having end of year parties.
The third week incorporated the long weekend, industry closure and the people started travelling. The fourth week incorporated the Christmas long weekend and it saw a massive increase in traffic volumes and festivities.
• Most crashes took place between 19H00 and 22H00 with the peak between 20H00 and 21H00.
• Most fatalities were recorded on Sundays which is a new trend.
• Human factors contributed 80,8% of the crashes, environmental factors contributed 10,4% as a result of heavy rainfall and storms that had a big impact on road use, and this is whereas vehicle factors contributed 8.8%.
• 40.9% of those who died were pedestrians, passengers accounted for 33.6%, drivers 24.6% and cyclists 0.8%
• It will be noted very sadly that the majority of those who died were between the ages of 25 and 44.
2.3% decline
The number of fatal crashes experienced over the 2023/24 festive period is 1 184 which represent a 2,3 percent decline compared to 2022/23 festive season where 1 212 crashes were recorded.
This decline was made possible by the intensified law enforcement operations conducted and the high police visibility throughout the country. More than 1.4 million vehicles were stopped and checked in the period under review with 7 820 drivers arrested for among others driving under the influence of alcohol, inconsiderate and reckless driving, producing false documentation and excessive speeding.
Fast and furious
The highest speed was recorded on N1 Settle Bridge in Limpopo where a driver was stopped and arrested for travelling at 225 kilometres an hour in a 120-kilometre zone.
Drinking and Driving
A driver with the highest alcohol content was arrested on R409 in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape with the breath alcohol reading of 2.48 milligrams of alcohol per 1 000 millilitres of breath. This far exceeded the legal limit of 0.24mg alcohol per 1 000 ml of breath.
Top 5 traffic offences
The top five traffic offences for which traffic fines were issued are speeding with 78 958 fines compared to 34 576 previously, driving without fastening seatbelt with 27 552 fines compared to 29 769 previously, driving without a driving licence with 28 767 fines compared to 26 865 previously, driving an unlicensed vehicle by 34 896 motorists compared to 37 063 previously and driving vehicles with worn tyres with 17 335 fines issued compared to 13 671 previously.
As a consequence of our relentless law enforcement as well as education and awareness campaigns, the number of people who died on the roads was reduced by 25 (1.7 percent) from 1 452 in the previous reporting period to 1 427 in the current period. Five provinces, the Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Limpopo, and North West recorded fewer fatalities while other provinces recorded increases.
The provincial breakdown of fatalities is as follows:
Free State recorded a 27.4 percent decline.
Eastern Cape recorded a 21.5 percent decline.
Northern Cape recorded a 15.7 percent decline.
Limpopo recorded an 8.4 percent decline.
North West recorded a 2.1 percent decline.
Gauteng recorded a 7.6 percent increase.
KwaZulu Natal recorded a 4.2 percent increase.
Mpumalanga recorded a 9.7 percent increase,
Western Cape recorded a 22.6 percent increase.
It is worth noting that the Eastern Cape is the only province that managed to surpass the target set for it to reduce fatalities by at least 18.6%.
“In the light of this, we will have to have serious engagements with authorities in the provinces and possibly redefine the targets informed by objective dynamics and available resources on the ground in the provinces”.
I wish to commend our traffic officers, members of the South African Police Services and emergency medical services for their sterling work, commitment, and dedication during this period. They sacrificed their family time and pleasure to as they committedly enforced the law and working hard to save lives,” Chikunga said.