Lentswe, Klerksdorp - Various provinces and the national Department of Transport have launched their policing campaigns for the coming long weekend, looking to clamp down on road abusers over the busy Easter period. Thousands of motorists are expected to take to holiday destinations this weekend as South Africans celebrate religious or leisure time over the Easter weekend.
The Department of Transport, headed by Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, launched its road safety campaign on March 20, aiming to clamp down on abuse on the roads.
Over 12 000 people die on South Africa’s roads each year – though, positively, this is a reduction from 14,000 deaths in previous years.
Despite the overall reduction in deaths, Easter weekend is particularly fatal, with the department recording a 40% increase in deaths over the weekend in 2023 at 225 fatalities in 185 accidents over the four-day period.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Chikunga said that the Easter weekend road safety push shouldn’t be limited to only one weekend but a mindset that should be adopted all year round.
Drivers are urged to move with extreme caution while travelling on these major routes:
- N4 eastbound: It will be busy, as it not only links Gauteng to Mpumalanga, but the corridor is a link to Mozambique and Eswatini.
- N3 from Gauteng to KZN: is a hugely popular holiday route that will see many people head to the coast for the Easter break and school holidays.
- N1 North and the N2 up the Garden Route and into the Eastern Cape: These are likely to be extremely busy in both directions.
