Fewer road fatalities in 2017 festive period

22 January 2018 - 12:45 By By Naledi Shange

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The traffic in the M1 highway in Johannesburg.
Image: Lucky Nxumalo

South Africa saw fewer road fatalies in the 2017 festive period‚ the Department of Transport announced on Monday.

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said 1‚527 people died on the roads between 1 December 2017 and 15 January 2018. This was significantly lower than the 1‚714 fatalities recorded in the 2016 festive period.

1 December 2017 to 15 Jan 2018, 1527 people died on the roads in that period compare to 1714 fatalities the same period the previous year #ArriveAlive @_ArriveAlive @TrafficRTMC @GovernmentZA @Joemaswanganyi6 @TransportLimCom pic.twitter.com/b50C16teC3
— Department of Transport (@DoTransport) January 22, 2018

The majority of those killed were pedestrians.

Maswanganyi's report said the percentage of fatalities among pedestrians increased to 37% from 34% in the previous year. Drivers accounted for 27% of fatalities‚ compared to 23% recorded in the previous year.

Highest number of fatalities was among pedestrians which increased from 34% to 37% and fatalities among drivers from 23% to 27% #ArriveAlive @_ArriveAlive @Joemaswanganyi6 @TransportLimCom @GovernmentZA @rtia_aarto @RAF_SA @GCISMedia pic.twitter.com/6zSCKLw5b7
— Department of Transport (@DoTransport) January 22, 2018