Cape Town — The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, said the department would prioritise drunk driving during the festive season.
During a wreath-laying ceremony to honour 69 traffic officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, the department explained that its annual call to discourage drunk driving. has often been ignored as alcohol-related incidents have claimed the lives of many motorists, passengers, and pedestrians during the festive season.
The Department said its 2024/25 road safety campaign was postponed to 5 December in an attempt to coincide with the peak travel season and Hlengwa said drunk driving would be prioritised this year.
“What do remain fundamentally concerned about is the high consumption of alcohol which results in drinking and driving and drinking and walking. 45% of our fatalities on the roads are pedestrians and the lake goes to the high consumption of alcohol,” Hlengwa said.
He said it was an issue that South Africa was number five in the World Health Organisation (WHO report on alcohol, and he claimed that there would be more boots on the ground to prevent further fatalities.
Hlengwa also revealed that South Africa recorded a 15% drop in road fatalities since 2010, and attributed that to the National Road Safety Strategy for the period of 2016 to 2030, as it aims to halve road fatalities by 2030.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
