The most dangerous road in South Africa over the holiday period is the R573 Moloto Road in Kwamhlanga, Mpumalanga, which saw 33 car crashes and 38 fatalities between 1 December 2022 and 15 January 2023, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s (RTMC) Festive Season Plan for 2023/24.
The festive season is normally met by a higher frequency of accidents on the country’s roads as more people travel long distances, during the evenings, and under the influence of drugs or alcohol than normal.
From past data, this has resulted in an increase in excessive speeding, reckless and negligent driving, overloaded public transport vehicles, and driver fatigue, said the RTMC.
Over the 2022/2023 period, there were 12,436 deaths on South Africa’s roads with the festive season accounting for a sizeable 1,560 of these fatalities, or roughly 13%.
The top 10 roads on which the most fatalities were recorded, especially during the hours of 16h00 and 22h00, were as follows:
| Road | Area | Province | Crashes | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R573 Moloto Road | Kwamhlanga | Mpumalanga | 33 | 38 |
| N2 | Dutywa | Eastern Cape | 29 | 39 |
| R71 | Mankweng | Limpopo | 27 | 30 |
| N2 | Mount Ayliff | Eastern Cape | 26 | 27 |
| R61 | Mbizana | Eastern cape | 24 | 24 |
| N2 | Pongola | KwaZulu-Natal | 23 | 32 |
| N1 | Naboomspruit | Limpopo | 22 | 62 |
| Ventersdorp | Stilfontein | North West | 20 | 23 |
| N1 | Mokopane | Limpopo | 19 | 36 |
| R61 | Mthatha | Eastern Cape | 19 | 23 |
Most accidents took place during the weeks of 15 to 21, and 22 to 28 December, with the RTMC recording 327 and 316 deaths between these two periods, respectively, roughly 43% of all road fatalities over the 46-day break.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the most affected days of the week, contributing to 59% of all fatal crashes in both the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 festive periods.
“Statistics from the previous festive season campaigns show that pedestrians are the most vulnerable road user group in South Africa. 41% of fatalities on our roads are pedestrians,” said the RTMC.
“This reality calls for increased efforts to improve the safety of this vulnerable group. Our efforts will target visibility and walking, jaywalking, distracted walking, and crossing on freeways.”
A 25% reduction in fatalities
The RTMC is targeting an overall 25% reduction in road fatalities for 2024.
To do this, the agency has established a three-stage approach that comprises increased law enforcement interventions, intensified driver education and communication, and escalated traffic monitoring through a dedicated control centre and new feedback channels.
Between 1 December 2023 and 15 January 2024, the National Traffic Police (NTP) will be stationed on a 24/7 basis on priority routes, including:
- N1 – From Bloemfontein to Colesburg
- N1 North – From Carousel Plaza to Nyl Plaza
- N2 – From Mthatha to Kokstad
- N3 – From Hilton to Durban
- N4 East – From Nelspruit to Machadodorp
Additionally, the RTMC will run several workshops for drivers and pedestrians to educate them about the dangers of drunk driving, speeding, vehicle roadworthiness, and pedestrian visibility, at places such as bus and taxi ranks, shopping malls, faith-based gatherings, and through radio, television, and print.
The target and actual reductions in fatalities posted by the RTMC since 2021, and its targets for this year, are detailed below:
| Province | 2021 baseline | 2022/2023 target | 2022/2023 reduction | 2022/2023 actual | 2023/2024 target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KZN | 300 | -27 | -20 (-0.7%) | 280 | 225 |
| Gauteng | 291 | -26 | +45 (+15.5%) | 336 | 218 |
| Eastern Cape | 231 | -21 | -18 (-0.8%) | 213 | 173 |
| Limpopo | 231 | -21 | +38 (+16.5%) | 269 | 173 |
| Western Cape | 225 | -20 | +125 (+55.6%) | 350 | 169 |
| Mpumalanga | 194 | -17 | +47 (+24.3%) | 241 | 146 |
| North West | 142 | -13 | +36 (+25.3%) | 178 | 107 |
| Free State | 129 | -12 | +9 (+7.2%) | 138 | 97 |
| Northern Cape | 65 | -6 | +63 (+97%) | 128 | 49 |
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