The death toll on South African roads – which are some of the most dangerous in the world – is down during the current festive period.
Nevertheless the country’s transport minister says the 677 road accident fatalities since December the first is unacceptably high if South Africa is to meet its target of halving the number of road deaths by 2015.
Last year, reckless, negligent and drunken driving killed 43 South Africans on the country’s roads every day. The toll is considerably higher than the total number of South African deaths in World War II.
This lethal statistic of 32 road deaths per 100 000 of population is twice as high as that in the United States and five times more than Australia’s.
South Africa has the greatest death toll of 36 countries polled by the International Transport Forum.’
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says 1376 people died in the traditional holiday period between December 2013 and the first week of January this year.
Government’s engaged in a zero tolerance policy towards moving traffic violations.
The death toll so far this December is 35 percent down on last year.
However it’s feared the fatalities will escalate when the roads are filled after New Year with people going home from holidaying in the coastal cities.