The RTMC has released its annual report for the year 2014 to 2015 showing over 4,500 died on SA roads.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters at the release of the RTMC annual report, on road accidents, for the year 2014 and 2015 in Kempton Park on 11 September 2015. Picture: Mia Lindeque/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says new road fatality statistics have shown 80 percent of the deaths on the country’s roads comprise of adults and males between the ages of 19 and 34.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has released its annual report for the year 2014 to 2015, showing that more than 4,500 people died on South African roads.
The department says drunk driving remains one of the main contributing factors to crashes.
Peters says serious action needs to be taken.
“New inexperienced drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 years of age were most likely to die on the roads. Women were most likely to die on the roads as passengers, especially in public transport vehicles, while children will be affected as passengers and pedestrians.”
The latest national road traffic data shows most fatal crashes in South Africa involve young men in light vehicles, and occur over the weekends.
The report has been released in Kempton Park today.
Most crashes between 2014 and 2015 were recorded in Gauteng, the Western Cape and in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The minister says speed and alcohol abuse are the top two contributing factors that led to the 4,500 crashes between April and August this year.
She says 5,500 people lost their lives in those accidents.
“It's important that we give stiffer penalties, in particular, so that people can actually see and behave on the roads.”
She says analysis shows that 76 percent of the fatal crashes involved black people, while whites accounted for eight percent.
She adds drastic steps need to be taken to stop the carnage on the roads.
This report will be tabled in Parliament shortly.
(Edited by Masechaba Sefularo)
No comments:
Post a Comment