Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have released the mid-festive season preliminary road safety report, presenting the update in Somerset West on Friday, December 19, 2025, as holiday travel peaks across the country.
South Africa’s roads have become increasingly congested as thousands of motorists travel to festive destinations. Authorities say fatigue, speeding and drunk driving remain key contributors to serious and fatal crashes on major routes.
According to preliminary figures for the period December 1 to 16, there has been a 20.9% reduction in fatal crashes and a 20.8% decrease in fatalities, a decline attributed to intensified law enforcement, road safety education and public awareness campaigns.
Despite the improvement, Creecy cautioned that the situation remains critical.
“The average road fatalities per day is still much, much too high. We are looking at an average of 32 fatalities every day since the start of the festive season.”
Creecy confirmed that while the numbers show progress compared to the same period last year, pedestrians continue to account for the highest number of fatalities, followed by hit-and-run incidents.
“We are seeing a decrease in the number of fatalities and crashes.”
Law enforcement statistics reveal that 2 364 drivers were arrested for drunk driving, 236 for excessive speeding and 178 for reckless and negligent driving. Authorities also arrested 53 pedestrians for jaywalking on motorways and 26 motorists for attempting to bribe traffic officers.
In Gauteng, intensified enforcement operations were conducted between December 8 and 14, across Johannesburg and Tshwane, focusing on major public transport corridors.
During this period, 64 unroadworthy minibuses were removed from operation, 89 vehicles were issued with discontinuation notices and more than 800 manual infringement notices were issued. A further 1 174 electronic infringement notices were processed using GTI e-Force devices, while two vehicles were impounded.
Additional inspections uncovered widespread non-compliance, including 168 minibus taxi operators driving without valid licences and 147 minibuses operating without valid licence discs.
Beyond traffic offences, arrests were also made for driving under the influence, contraventions of the Immigration Act, fraud-related offences, obstruction of officers, and reckless and negligent driving.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela praised enforcement teams for their efforts.
“There will be zero tolerance for unroadworthy vehicles, reckless behaviour, or criminality on Gauteng’s roads. Our enforcement teams are acting decisively to protect commuters and ensure full compliance by public transport operators. Road safety is not negotiable, and those who undermine it will be dealt with without exception.”
Authorities say stop-and-search operations will continue as a key component of road safety enforcement. With a dedicated team of 96 officers, the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate has reiterated its commitment to improving road safety, shutting down illegal operations and upholding the rule of law throughout the province.
Saturday Star