Dipuo Peters warns that four-day weekend may increase road deaths
Transport minister says festive season is generally characterised by high traffic volumes and fatalities over this period remain unacceptably high
The risk of festive season road deaths and injuries is higher this year because of the four-day Christmas weekend followed by the New Year long weekend‚ Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said. In a Festive Season Message released on Tuesday‚ Peters said the "festive season period is generally characterised by high traffic volumes in different routes of SA with fatalities over this period remaining unacceptably high". Her message was released after the Department of Transport announced earlier on Tuesday that 845 people had died on the country’s roads between December 1 and 19‚ a 17% increase on the same period last year. The increase was described by the Automobile Association (AA) as worrying and dismaying. The association said the country’s festive road fatality numbers could be the worst in several years.
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