Preliminary accident records have revealed there could be a slight decrease of the number of people that died on Limpopo roads during the 2017 festive period.
According to the department of Transport’s statistics as at 31 December 2017, 147 people died on the roads
from the 1-31st December compared to 203 during the same period in 2016.
The report also shows that the 2017 festive period saw fewer road accidents at 324 compared to the 359 recorded during the same period in 2016. Of the 359 accidents, 101 were caused by drivers losing control and over-turning, 49 were caused by reckless driving and 46 were caused by pedestrians crossing roadways.
The department says law enforcement operations including ‘Operation Ndadzi’ were carried out from the 1st of December and this saw the arrests of many motorists including 356 who were arrested for drunken driving.
Furthermore, four drivers were arrested by the department’s anti-corruption team after attempting to bribe officers on 14 December 2017. The department’s spokesperson Matome Moremi has hailed taxi operators for improved behaviour on the roads adding that this has contributed to the less number of fatalities recorded during this period.
Moremi has at the same time raised concerns over the alarming rate of pedestrian deaths recorded.
Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi is expected to release the official statistics and festive death toll later
this month.
