178 road fatalities 
in Limpopo

Limpopo – Midnight on Tuesday 08 January marked the end of the Festive Season.
According to preliminary figures, crashes recorded in the recent festive season total 1 286, regrettably and unfortunately resulting in 1 612 fatalities nationwide.

Among these Limpopo had 138 motor vehicle accidents and 178 fatalities on the road.
The festive season gave people the opportunity to enjoy quality time with loved ones, to relax and recharge in preparation for the new year.

This is also the time of year when South African roads become a blood bath as motorist travel to their families or holiday destinations.

The World Health Organisation’s global status report on road safety states that 58% of road traffic deaths in South African involved alcohol. Additionally, the seat-belt wearing rate is as low as 38% for drivers and 31% for front seated passengers.

The carnages we continue to experience on our roads are instigated by a number of factors mostly embedded in human behaviour and vehicle factors include: alcohol and substance abuse, reckless and negligent driving, un-roadworthy vehicles, overtaking on blind-rises, barrier lines and in areas of poor visibility, a total disregard for rules of the road, corruption, distracted driving – where drivers use cell phones while driving, lack of courtesy towards other road users, failure to use seatbelts and child restraints, overloading, fatigue caused by failure to rest at periodic intervals, and stray animals on our roads, particularly in rural areas.