Road crashes over the 2025 Easter Weekend were down by a welcome 32.5% year over year, while fatalities dropped by an even more impressive 45.6%.
Total crashes were recorded at 141 this year, compared to 209 in 2024, while fatalities came in at 167 versus 307.
All provinces witnessed decreases in fatalities except Mpumalanga, which saw a 27.3% increase compared to 2024, from 22 to 28 deaths.
As the main contributor to the nation’s deadly roads is reckless driver behaviour, these figures indicate that motorists conducted themselves far better in 2025 than in previous years.
Government insists that more widespread and consistent law enforcement operations across all nine provinces, as well as partnerships between civil society and government, also helped in curbing deaths and accidents.
The fact that this year’s Easter Weekend came one week before most people’s payday, and that it was the first of three long weekends in a row, may have played a role, too.
Regardless, the positive numbers require recognition. Good job, South Africa!
A broader trend
Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy noted that the Easter weekend statistics are reflective of a broader downward trend in road accidents and related fatalities in South Africa.
“From January to March, we have seen a 16% decline in the number of fatalities and a 13% decrease in the total number of road accidents,” said Creecy.
“Crashes decreased in eight provinces except Mpumalanga which recorded the same number of crashes as in the previous year.”
Simultaneously, fatalities dropped in seven provinces except Free State, which chalked a 5% increase on the board, and Mpumalanga which had a 1% increase.
Fatalities involving pedestrians now account for 47%, or almost half of all road deaths.
“Overall, we now believe that it will be possible to meet our target to reduce crashes and fatalities by at least 50% by 2029,” said Creecy.
“Our challenge is to sustain this achievement daily, weekly, and monthly.”
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