Easter weekend road deaths down by 30% in Western Cape

8 Apr 2013

Easter weekend road deaths in the Western Cape have decreased by 30% from 20 deaths in 2012 to 14 deaths in 2013 (2013 Easter weekend falling between 29 March till 1 April).

The comparative figures are:

• 2009: 21
• 2010: 28
• 2011: 7
• 2012: 20
• 2013: 14

"This Easter was characterised by wet conditions and high traffic volumes in and out of the province over this period. The N1 saw 6 182 vehicles travelling along this route over this period, while the N2 saw 2430 vehicles.

"Whilst the fatalities were well below the previous years, Easter fatalities have varied widely over the last five years. Despite the very low fatalities for Easter 2011, the long trend line shows that figures remain below the average since 2009. Our Provincial and municipal Traffic Services, as well as our partners from SAPS and the RTMC's (Road Traffic Management Corporation) National Traffic Police Unit are to be commended for the tireless work that they put into ensuring that reckless and irresponsible road users are brought to book and safety continued to prevail on our roads," said Minister Carlisle.

This past Easter weekend saw six passengers and six pedestrians killed on our roads, while, like in years past (2009 to 2013), no cyclists were killed.

"As we await figures for the entire month of March 2013, which was not a good month on our roads, the Easter period has shown that buckling-up and pedestrian safety remain a serious concern. As we continue to see motorist behaviour change, so too must passengers, particularly back-seat passengers, and pedestrians. These classes of fatalities must realise how vulnerable they are and the dangers that they often place themselves in by not complying with road rules," added Carlisle.

Some enforcement statistics:

• 22 411 vehicles were stopped and checked
• 288 public transport vehicles were stopped and 33 were parked as part of our Fatigue Management campaign
• A total of 3 370 people were screened for alcohol
• 56 arrests were made for driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or over the limit, with the highest reading recorded at 1.2 mg/1000 ml
• 2 arrests were made for excessive speeding (both clocking 165 km/h and 195 km/h in a 120 km/h zone respectively)

"The RTMCs National Traffic Police Unit assisted in our operations over the Easter weekend with 22 officers, 10 vehicles and a helicopter, effectively increasing our capacity and adding to our resources. This is a road safety partnership which we welcome and hope will continue to bear fruits and save lives on our roads," added Carlisle.

Statement issued by Western Cape Transport and Public Works, April 8 2013

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