#CrimeStats | Gauteng is drunk driving capital - with 30,203 cases in a year

Drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs or other substances has decreased in five provinces, according to the 2018/2019 crime statistics released on Thursday. 

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape all experienced a drop in the number of cases of driving under the influence, while the remaining four provinces saw an increase.

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Most drunk driving offenders come from Gauteng with 30,203 reported cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 17,577 reported cases and the Western Cape with 12,561 cases. The Northern Cape had the fewest, at 652.

Drug-related crime made up 68.6% of the reported crimes last year. Of these 82,912 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs were reported. The number is down 3.8% from last years 86,160 reported cases.

Last year, the crime statistics were worse than expected. At the time, TimesLIVE reported that more than 1,500 people were murdered every month in SA, with 57 people murdered every day on average.

The 2018/19 figures are worse, however.

The new statistics show a 3.4% increase in the murder rate, with 21,022 more people deliberately killed, a rise from 20,336 in 2017/18.