NW to intensify road safety operations

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Pretoria - The North West is to intensify its road safety operations ahead of the Easter Holidays and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Provincial MEC for Public Safety, Howard Yawa said speed was the highest contributory factor towards the death toll in the province.

The analysis of the most fatal road accidents showed that 36 percent of road fatalities were caused by speeding while 25 percent were caused by pedestrians jay walking.

"Speed has consistently been the main factor for the death toll for the past five years," said Yawa.

The province recorded a 1. 9 percent increase in road crashes from 101 in 2008 to103 over the past December festive period and reduced road fatalities by 9.2 percent from 141 to 128.

Later today, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele is expected to announce the 2009/10 festive season road traffic statistics.

This follows an intensive Festive Season Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign that saw over 550 000 vehicles being stopped and checked on some of the busiest roads in the country since 1 December.